Wishes Are Eternal
by RyukoVulpix
Summary: Shadow is given a second chance at life, but why? Now that Maria's wish has been fulfilled, isn't it time for a hero to go to his well deserved rest? Or maybe... his life's work isn't completed yet.
1. Falling

Disclaimer: I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog or any other affiliated characters or names.

A/N: I've edited the fic (yet again!) Maybe now it'll be a little easier to read...

* * *

_I'm falling..._

_Everything is red._

_My own energy..._

_...the power of the Chaos Emeralds..._

_This is the only thing that sustains me..._

_...when it's gone..._

_...I won't breathe..._

_...Maria..._

~*~

Shadow forced his eyes open. He winced and shut them again.

'How could I have fallen from ARK?' he scolded himself silently.

Then visions were flashing past his mind, faster than sound...

"Maria..." He coughed.

Visions of that last day on ARK...

'Maria...!'

The military... storming the space colony... killing everyone in sight.

"Maria!!" He screamed into the emptiness of space.

...how could they shoot her...!?

'Maria never hurt anyone...'

Shadow gasped in pain. His Super form was keeping him from dying... but for how long?

His Super form... a barrier between his air,

his body,

his life...

...and the cold death of space.

Visions of standing in the control room... talking to Maria...

Shadow closed his eyes tighter. 'Is this my life, flashing before me...?'

Visions of being awakened by Eggman.

Visions of rescuing the bat-girl from the island.

Visions of defeating the FinalHazard.

Visions of that first meeting with that blue hedgehog... Sonic...?

:::"What?"

"It begins with this... A jewel containing the ultimate power..."

"That's the... Chaos Emerald! ... Now I know what's going on! The military has mistaken me for the likes of you!"

"..."

"Say something! You fake hedgehog!"

"Chaos... Control!":::

'Sonic... I owe you an apology... you're the ultimate life form... you lived... I didn't... I'll tell you when you die too.' Shadow shook the thought of dying from his mind. But it was inevitable.

The friction and heat against his thin shield of pure energy almost became too much to bear. Shadow felt himself losing power...

... passing out...

Suddenly, he opened his eyes. He was in a dark place... there was a shining light, far away...

'I have to reach that... that must be the afterlife... that's where Maria is...'

He tried to stand up, but the image blurred. In shock, he saw space... Earth...

'Where am I?' Then the dark void came back into focus...

'I have... to get there...' Shadow weakly made progress, but his surroundings faded... faded into a transparent world... partly a world of the living... partly a world of the afterlife.

He growled in frustration, wincing in pain.

'Wait... if I feel pain... I'm not dead...?'

A voice... hauntingly familiar...

"Shadow!"

Maria...

"Shadow, stop where you are!!"

"Maria...?"

"Shadow, no, don't go!"

Shadow collapsed onto the ground. 'Where am I...'

"You're... going to the afterlife! Shadow, go back, now!"

"Maria!" he shouted hoarsely.

Shadow looked up. In this blurry, transparent world, he saw a face...

...a kind face...

... shining down on him...

... Maria ...

"Shadow... no," she whispered. "Your friends need you."

Shadow looked down stubbornly. "I have no friends."

"Are you sure...?"

"Yes... you're my only friend..."

"Shadow... you'll never be happy if you don't accept others. If you choose to give up on life."

"What kind of life is there?! There is no more happiness without you..." Shadow felt the sting of salty teardrops, falling on his burned face. "Where am I? I don't want to hurt anymore..."

Maria was crying. She stammered, "This is... a place between the living world and the afterlife. You don't belong in the afterlife yet."

"But... I belong where you are. You--"

"Shadow... not many people get this chance. You have another chance at living. You can go back to Earth. You can go back to your friends."

"I don't have friends!"

"Sonic. Tails. Knuckles. Rouge. Amy"

"... They helped me keep my promise. They're not my friends..."

"Sonic is especially crestfallen... He thought you two could be allies, friends... there is no one else quite like him. He wants a rival, like himself..."

"He'll find someone els-- Wait. How do you know about Sonic? The rest of them..." Shadow looked into Maria's eyes, trying to focus. His vision was shaky... dizzying... blurry...

Maria said quietly, "I've been watching you..."

Shadow felt a pang of guilt. "I'm sorry... for all the trouble I've caused..." He looked away.

Maria choked. "It's all my fault... don't blame yourself."

Shadow looked back at her. "Your fault?! No, it's completely my--"

Maria sighed. "It's all because of me that Grandpa went insane... programmed the space colony to give you so much trouble. It's because of me that you both wanted revenge."

Shadow said, "It's my fault because I made that choice... I don't know why I showed Eggman the Eclipse Cannon..." He felt tears roll down his face. "It's my fault the moon is half gone... It's my fault you died, because the military went after us..."

Maria knelt down to Shadow. "No... it's no one's fault. But listen: there isn't much time. You must go back to the living world." She touched his silver fur, gently because of the scorches. "Your Super form won't last much longer. Use that Chaos Control that you have. Please go back to Earth."

Shadow flinched at the touch. Then he apologized. "I'm sorry... it's just that I'm burned... but the pain is going away." He smiled quietly.

Maria looked serious. "Hurry. You're... dying right now. You must get out of here... the longer you stay, the harder it will be to leave..."

"Can the Chaos Control warp dimensions?" Shadow was surprised.

"...yes... you haven't discovered its true power, I believe..."

"...I don't want to go."

"You have to..."

"But I don't want to leave you..."

"Go!"

"Can you come?" Maria shook her head.

"I'm afraid not. I belong in the afterlife. You belong in the living world."

Shadow nodded. He didn't want to leave Maria behind, again. But the promise of a new life... "Maria," he whispered. "When I get back... I will try to apologize... for all the destruction I caused..."

The two looked at each other. Maria blinked away tears.

Shadow straightened up painfully. Gasping, he cried--

"CHAOS CONTROL!"

As he left, he heard Maria's voice... one last time...

"Shadow.... wishes are eternal...."

~*~

Zipping past

the boundaries of the dimensions

Shadow found himself

back in the living world...

...back in space.

But his mind carried him to the land, on Earth.

... but the pain was unbearable...

... everything rushed by,

at the speed of sound...

Even faster.

In a split second, he appeared in a flash of light, hovering over the ocean, close to land...

Shadow's eyes widened. 'The earth... looks so beautiful from here...'

He sighed. His silver color, burned from the fall, changed to black...

With his Super form gone, he couldn't fly anymore...

Then there was a cold rush of water, and many painful stings of salt

burning his body all over...

Gagging, he draped himself over a piece of driftwood.

'Lucky moron...' he muttered in his mind.

Seemingly an eternity later, Shadow felt himself being washed up to the beach...

'My aim was a little off... I guess... should have tried to get closer to shore...'

Another voice shattered his thoughts.

"Shadow?!"

He lay still, too weak to do anything. But he knew the voice at once.

'... Sonic...'

"Shadow... how... did you..." Sonic was stupified. "We thought... for _sure_..."

"Heh heh... about time you got here, faker..." Shadow whispered.


	2. Happiness Granted

Disclaimer: I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog.

* * *

"Faker... right," Sonic smiled wearily. "Whatever you say..."

Shadow tried his hardest to smile back... although he rarely ever smiled...

Being alive after nearly meeting death was probably an okay occasion to smile. "Yeah... whatever I say..." He quietly passed out.

"Sonic!" Tails called. "Sonic! What's wrong?!" He ran along the beach and eventually caught up with Sonic. He stared at Shadow's limp form.

"Nothing's wrong, Tails..." Sonic replied. "It's all right now..." He trailed off...

~*~

Sonic, Tails, Amy, and Rouge sat in a row in front of a large audience. The President was concluding a long speech.

"And in closing, we would like to thank these citizens for their participance in the saving of the world. We owe them our lives, and for this we are eternally grateful."

As the President continued, Rouge looked around, a bit saddened. "We're not all here," she whispered to no one in particular. Knuckles had gone back to Angel Island... and after escaping from being arrested Eggman had gone off, presumably to plot Sonic's demise once more, although no one really cared about that. "I suppose getting an award is nice..."

Tails, while acknowledging the loss of his comrades, was nevertheless proud of himself. 'I helped save the world,' he sighed, smiling quietly to himself.

Amy grinned widely. "Aren't you guys excited!" she chirped happily to the others. "We saved the world! We're getting awards!!" Then she saw Sonic's face. Her smile faded. "What's the matter?"

Sonic shook his head. 'Yeah, I'm proud... oh who am I kidding.' He looked at Tails, who was sitting next to him. "Tails..."

"Yeah Sonic?"

"Is... is there any chance that Shadow is still alive? I mean, out of all of us... he deserves an award."

All thoughts of happiness drained from Tails' mind. "I... I don't know... I mean... Shadow is the ultimate life form. I suppose he could still be alive..." Tails sighed and looked at the floor.

Rouge, listening to the conversation, thought of Shadow too. "I never told you," she said to the others, "but Shadow saved my life one time..." She breathed out slowly.

Amy leaned her face on her hands. "I talked to Shadow before that terrible Biolizard thing appeared. He was talking about Maria. And I saw him cry."

"Cry?" Sonic asked, bewildered. "Wait... you said Maria?"

"Yeah. All I said was 'Shadow, I beg of you. Do it for the people of Earth. Give them all a chance to be happy.' And then he cried and... something about Maria."

"Maria..." Sonic stared at the floor again. "He talked about Maria when we used Chaos Control on ARK."

"Maria..." thought Tails. "Wasn't she Gerald Robotnik's granddaughter?"

'Maria... she's dead,' Sonic thought, a horrific realization coming to his mind. "You guys... You don't think Shadow would die on purpose, do you...?"

"Shadow? Why would he do something like that?" Tails questioned.

"Oh... no..." Amy whispered.

"To be with..." Sonic trailed off. Rouge stared suddenly at the floor.

Just then, the President finished with his speech and turned to the four of them. "For your heroic deeds, we are presenting you with these medals of honor." He took a box from someone and opened it.

"No," said Sonic. He looked at the others with a strange look in his eyes. "I'm afraid I can't accept this." He turned and left.

"But... Sonic... wait!" the President called. "We apologize for mistaking you for that black hedgehog. Please accept this as a gift."

"No! Shadow... he's the reason why I'm not accepting that. He helped me save the world... he should be here," Sonic looked over his shoulder and left.

Then Tails stood up. "I'm sorry. Sonic is right. Shadow did help defeat the Final Hazard..." Tails started to walk away too.

Rouge stood up also. "Oh... forget it. I'm out of here too. We all saved the world together. And Shadow... I owe my life to him." She walked out in a huff.

Amy watched the others leave. "Sonic! Wait...." She turned and faced the President. "I'm sorry, sir... Well, really, Sonic's right. I don't deserve a medal." She sighed. "I didn't really do anything, anyway." She walked after Sonic. "Sonic... wait up!"

The President, the Secret Service, and all the people at the assembly watched openmouthed. "Well..." the President wiped his brow, nervous at the fact that the four saviors of the world had just turned down their awards and left. "I must say... they are very modest... Let's give them a hand!" The applause was tremendous.

The four, as they walked away, heard it. "Why are they applauding," Sonic said, in a monotone voice. "Not all of us are here..."

Tails wiped his eyes. "I wish I could thank Shadow..."

Rouge's eyes softened. "We all do."

Sonic said, to no one in particular, "The thing is... I wish we could have shown him what life on Earth is like... really like. But... if he wants to be with Maria, I can't argue with him."

Amy hung her head. "Shadow was nice after all. I guess he was just confused."

Sonic smiled hopefully. "But.... really, Tails... is it possible he lived?"

Tails shrugged. "Maybe. I don't know how he was created... and he did fall through space while in his Super form, right? He could live in space while in his Super form."

"No," Sonic shook his head. "His rings would have run out before he got to Earth."

"Er... hey, wait. He was in Super form, right? And that means he could have used the Chaos Control to get back to Earth!" Tails pointed out.

Rouge listened in on their conversation. "Actually..." she trailed off.

"What?" asked Tails. "You say something?"

"Er... it doesn't really matter, I guess..." Rouge said. She took off.

Sonic was particularly downcast, for a change. "Dangit... we never proved who was a faker or not..."

Amy, in an attempt to cheer up her hero, added optimistically, "Well, when we find him, let's see!"

"...when?"

"...not if."

~*~

"And now we've found him," Tails smiled. "I guess he really did want to live after all."

Sonic picked Shadow up, gently because of the burns. He started to run towards the hospital. "Tails," he said to the kitsune, "what do you think his chances are of... living?"

Tails hesitated. "Well... I'm not sure... I don't know much about this kind of thing... Like before, it depends on how much he wants to live... I mean, you... You're always just kind of coming back, no matter what happens... Shadow... well..."

Sonic shook the thought from his mind. "Eh, he came this far, what's stopping him now?" He picked up speed. Tails followed.

"Ha... wait till the others hear about this!" Tails said.

~*~

Shadow winced. His eyes opened a fraction. 'Sonic...?' he thought, looking up at the face in front of his. He was moving... Sonic was carrying him, running somewhere. Tails was hovering overhead. 'Where... where are we going?' He thought. Then he saw the expressions on Tails and Sonic's faces.

'They're... happy. Yes... they look worried... but they're happy... Why?'

Then, like a conscience, he heard Maria's voice. 'Sonic is especially crestfallen... He thought you two could be allies, friends... there is no one else quite like him. He wants a rival, like himself...'

'Sonic and Tails are happy because... I'm alive.' He closed his eyes and his mouth curved slightly into a smile. 'I made them happy... because I'm alive... Maria... this is what you wanted...' He fell into a deep sleep.

~*~

From a shaded rooftop, Rouge watched Sonic race past, like blue lightning.

"...Shadow... Shadow the Hedgehog..."

Rouge let herself smile quietly.

"I don't doubt your survival... not now."


	3. Injured

Disclaimer: I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog.

A/N: For anyone who wonders, yes, people are wrapped in Saran Wrap when they're burned all over, because if your skin is dead you lose heat quickly. Also, you can see through plastic wrap, so you can monitor the burn without exposing it... that's what I figured, anyway.

* * *

As soon as Sonic reached a nearby hospital, he was momentarily glad of Shadow's burned state. Black as he was, it didn't make much difference if some fur was singed or not.

But with every bad thing comes a good one... and the other way around.

Shadow's burns were not as serious as they might have been, for his Super form let out an aura of energy that protected him. But the heat from the friction of the upper atmosphere had still reached scorching temperatures.

In most places, Shadow had almost third-degree burns... enough to burn almost all the way through his skin.

Sonic and Tails were shocked at this.

The nurses and doctors rushed Shadow immediately into the burn ward.

~*~

Shadow was quickly washed, then wrapped in plastic wrap. He was given several IVs. Then the doctors gave him some painkillers and let him rest for a while.

When all was clear, the window to Shadow's room opened.

Shadow was still unconscious. He shivered at the cool air that entered the room.

A shadow fell across him.

Rouge.

She sucked her breath in quickly, as she gazed in horror at the singed flesh.

But... this had to be done.

She walked up to the still figure.

She knew better than to take the plastic wrap off the area... no need for him to get infected. She pulled out a small notebook and reviewed her previous notes.

"...take damage... regenerate lost limbs..." She swallowed at the last note.

"...heal itself."

She looked at Shadow, with surprisingly gentle eyes, even for herself.

"For your sake..."

She looked at the small photos, pasted into her notes.

Biolizard...

Professor Gerald Robotnik...

"...I hope... I hope you and the Biolizard had... at least... similar planning."

She gritted her teeth and looked back at Shadow.

"Once all that dead stuff's off... I think you'll be just fine."

She headed toward the window slowly. As she left, she couldn't help throwing a harsh remark at him.

"...and then, I'll find out if you're the real Shadow..."

She stood on the windowsill and flew out, just as the doctors came in to check on Shadow.

They gaped in amazement as they saw Shadow opened his eyes wearily, stare at the window, and say...

"...real Shadow?"

He passed out again.

~*~

For the next two days, the doctors continued to be mystified.

During the routine of scraping off the dead skin and fur, the staff was finding new skin, even in areas that there had been barely any, growing incredibly quickly. Within one day, half his burn damage was gone.

At night, Rouge continued to come to the window to take notes.

Healing quickly lessened Shadow's pain. The burns still ached all over his body... but the worst was over.

His feet had not been severely burned. His shoes had taken most of the heat. His shoes, almost half melted, had been thrown away from the beginning.

Likewise, his hands had been saved from major damage from his gloves, which had fallen to ashes soon after he arrived on Earth.

The only surviving piece of clothing that remained were his wristbands. Sonic had specifically asked for those.

Shadow had been dressed in a piece of clothing that resembled a very large gauze bandage. His fur had yet to grow back sufficiently.

The head doctor had spoken to Tails, who had more knowledge (and a longer attention span) than Sonic.

The doctor said, "It's completely astonishing... he came in with second and almost third-degree burns, and in a matter of days it's already healing..." He shook his head. "It's stupified all the staff. When he came in, we were talking skin grafts... but it's almost no longer needed." He smiled. "Not to mention, he's the best patient we've had! Doesn't complain, doesn't whine about anything!"

Tails scratched his head. "Well... but he's unconscious, still."

The doctor smiled even wider. "So? It's a lucky break."

~*~

Rouge studied Shadow carefully for the next two days, adding up to a total of four that Shadow had stayed in the burn ward.

She had almost run straight back to the government with her observations...

...and realized that she couldn't.

"Project Shadow..." she growled, somewhere between anger and sadness. "Project Shadow, and Shadow the Hedgehog is the only one left."

An Ultimate Life Form prototype.

A key to immortality.

If anything, Shadow was an example of it.

An organism that could take damage, heal itself, regenerate lost limbs... and reproduce... by itself...

(...she'd crossed that one off...)

...but... an immortal.

Her research had even shown Professor Robotnik against studies for immortality.

Until Maria was born.

From birth, she had always been weak...

...and her disease...

...a disease that destroyed her immune system.

It was all clear now, why ARK had been in space rather than on Earth.

In space, nothing could survive...

...not germs, even.

ARK likely had a sterilization chamber for those who entered.

And all for Maria...

She sighed.

Nothing could survive in space.

Until she'd seen it with her own eyes.

Sonic, Shadow, and FinalHazard... all fighting... outside ARK... in space.

The FinalHazard had not been immortal...

...but it had a glaring weakness. Its support system.

Shadow didn't have a support system.

Could he... could he be...?

And even Super Sonic. Able to be in space, immortal... for a time.

Rouge thought she knew what it was that kept them alive.

The Chaos Emeralds.

The Chaos Emeralds had an unlimited supply of power within them.

And Sonic and Shadow had tapped into it.

But it wasn't just hedgehogs. On the way back to Earth, she and Knuckles had gotten into a conversation...

She lightly blushed...

...Knuckles had claimed to having gone Super before. But, since he lived in such solitude on Angel Island, his only mission in life was to guard the Master Emerald... so a Super form was rarely needed.

...but the Master Emerald and the Chaos Emeralds were so close together, in frequencies and wavelengths...

Or, as Knuckles would have put it, in power. The Chaos Emeralds had unlimited energy... but the single Master Emerald could stop them.

Maybe... maybe Knuckles had the answers that she needed.

Answers about the Chaos Emeralds.

About immortality, even...

...could Chaos Energy make one immortal?

She flew towards Angel Island.

~*~

Knuckles looked up as Rouge walked towards him. He didn't do anything except stare, trying to stare coldly but failing miserably.

"...hi," Rouge said, trying to get a conversation started.

"...hi."

The two stared at each other in silence for a few moments.

Rouge decided to just get to the point. "Do Chaos Emeralds grant immortality?"

Knuckles stared at Rouge. "What... why?"

Rouge slammed her notebook down in front of Knuckles. "If I tell you what I think... and you read that, you have to _swear_ to never speak a word of it to anyone... not even Sonic or anyone else," she muttered.

"...fine." Knuckles gingerly picked up Rouge's notes. He lightly read over them. He raised an eyebrow and said, "Reproducing asexually?"

Rouge snatched her notes back. "Oh, you know not that one!"

Knuckles shrugged. "I don't know... I suppose the Chaos Emeralds do grant immortality... but only for a time," he said.

Rouge nodded. "Do you think... if something had Chaos Energy all the time... would that make it infinitely immortal?" Knuckles shrugged again.

"Maybe."

Rouge waved an arm in the air. "Does it sound familiar to any... echidna legends or something that you know about?"

Knuckles replied, "Nothing that I'd know. Parents left when I was little."

"Anything?"

"The only way that I can think of would be... maybe... oh, living beyond death, I guess."

"What?" Rouge listened intently.

"Well... like, if you were permanently in a Super form, never going back... so, yeah, having the power of the Chaos Emeralds, you could live beyond death. Never die... or..." he added after some thought, "...be a ghost... something like that. I knew an echidna, a while ago. Her name was Tikal, and she and this creature named Chaos had been sealed in the Master Emerald for about 2000 years. When the Emerald was shattered, they were both released... only, Tikal was a spirit. Chaos was still alive."

"And this Chaos... it had the power of the Chaos Emeralds?"

"Yeah."

Rouge absorbed this new information. She turned to leave. "Thank you," she said quietly, then took off.

Knuckles leaned gently on the Master Emerald and watched her leave. "...see ya," he said to no one in particular.

* * *

A/N: Some of the information here was taken from "The Truth About Project Shadow," which can be found on the Project Shadow website (or the Wishes Are Eternal website, which has nothing to do with this fanfic. I kind of freaked when I found out about the site!) This includes the theory that Maria was infected with an immunodeficiency disease, which makes reason for ARK to be in space, rather than on Earth, and that the Ultimate Life Form prototype was able to regenerate lost limbs, heal itself, take damage, and reproduce asexually (the Biolizard is shown to do all of these things, except regenerate lost limbs. The "reproduce asexually" part is the pink eggs that you Homing Attack on.)

All this is put in the form of a report by Rouge, on Project Shadow. Whether this is reliable or not is up to the reader, really... Supposedly it was cut out of the English language version. So the only real way to know is to get the Japanese language version.

A last note: It also states in "The Truth About Project Shadow" that Rouge believes that Shadow is a clone. She says that the original Shadow the Hedgehog died on impact, but someone found him and cloned him. Although it doesn't really fit into the storyline, it is an interesting thought (for example, Sonic could be a genetically altered clone of Shadow...)

Also, on "immortal": the dictionary definition is "exempt from death." However, as used in an example such as Super Sonic, he is immortal, but only while his rings last. (Please note that there is a difference between "immortal" and "eternal youth." The second means that you're forever young.) Therefore, one _could_ be temporarily immortal. Shadow is described as "immortal and ageless," which implies that he is permanently immortal.

Thank you for listening to my highly-researched blabber.

-Ryuko


	4. Remembering

Disclaimer: I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog.

* * *

"...and then, I'll find out if you're the real Shadow..."

Even unconscious... it stung.

'I am the real Shadow... I am!'

Her... Rouge... all the harsh words...

"Even your memories might not be real..." echoed through his memory.

Memories... a flood of them.

Something must have gotten loose in his brain. Memories of things he didn't even remember. Deja vu...

~*~

Memories... of wondering what Earth could possibly be like, wondering what it would look like, smell like, feel like...

Memories of younger, more carefree days, despite being tested, for he was a science project, after all.

Memories of the kind scientist who had created him.

Memories of the scientist, Gerald Robotnik's, granddaughter, his best friend.

Maria.

Memories of the staff who always had a smile or kind word towards him and Maria.

Never being apart from Maria.

"We were inseparable..."

And then, all of that was shattered...

"Don't let them escape!"

Shadow vaguely recalled... running down the hallway, the professor telling him and Maria to leave, get in a capsule, go down to Earth...

Despite the military storming the space colony, the obvious dangers that were showing, the fear that was building in his mind, Shadow couldn't help but feel somewhat excited. Earth... were they really going to go to Earth? As they got to one of the rooms with escape capsules, though, the feeling of excitement disappeared in the time of a gunshot.

Literally.

"Maria!" Shadow started toward his friend, staring, wide-eyed in horror.

"Shadow... stop where you are..." she responded.

"But... Maria..." Shadow stopped, his heart pounding like a jackhammer. He felt it, the vibrations in his throat, the tightness, the pain in his mind...

Then he saw. She didn't just want him to stay back...

He was standing right underneath the escape capsule...

He saw her press the buttons on the controls...

"Maria!"

"Shadow... I beg of you..."

"MARIA!!!"

"Give them a chance... to be happy..."

Shadow watched, petrified, as his capsule was ejected into space...

...he watched as ARK faded from view...

...and Earth grew more in focus...

Of course, he was moving too fast to pick up any real details...

...but the impact...

...sheer pain...

...then G.U.N., coming...

...taking him to their base...

...locking him away, cryogenically freezing him...

...him swearing revenge on the world...

...the world that had killed his best friend...

Then, seemingly the next day, being awakened by Eggman

who wanted to conquer the world

It had to have been sent from the heavens.

In one glance, Shadow could tell what was on Eggman's mind.

It was the perfect chance to avenge Maria...

He'd show this doctor, a descendant of Gerald Robotnik, the Eclipse Cannon... He could destroy the world, destroy the humans, those who had killed Maria.

After fifty years, waking up in a time where he was alone. Where Maria was merely a forgotten figure of history...

In his entire quest to destroy Earth, he had failed

failed to notice the beauty of the planet

failed to see what Maria had always imagined

failed to fulfill her wish

failed to fulfill his promise

failed to destroy the world

failing to be either a hero or enemy

And it had taken Amy to make him realize his mistakes.

Amy, the rest of them...

Sonic.

Knuckles.

Even Rouge.

They'd shown him the light...

He had seen how ARK was plummeting towards Earth. How there couldn't be a way to stop it. But then Amy... Amy had come... had reminded him of Maria...

And he realized that it wasn't revenge she wanted. She had wanted the people of Earth, the same people, the descendants of the people who had caused her death, for them to be happy.

And he'd battled the Biolizard, the real Project Shadow, the one he'd thought himself to be...

However, in its defeat, he'd earned the title to himself... The Ultimate Life Form...

But, when the Biolizard had taken a desperate measure... becoming one with ARK in an attempt to destroy those on Earth along with itself... Shadow had found himself teaming up with Sonic...

And it was obvious.

He himself had nearly died. Sonic had escaped the fire of the atmosphere.

Sonic was the Ultimate Life Form himself.

But this... couldn't be.

And then the past merged into the present, until he was here.

Helpless.

Not an ultimate anything.

But still...

'Maria... I made a promise. And I intend to keep it.'

Complete confusion. Running through his mind.

But he wanted...

...the true facts.

'Maria... I want to see the world the way it is.'

A vow... to see the world, not through revenge-stricken, hate-filled eyes, but through those of one who wanted to help the world, one who wanted to learn of it.

'Maria..."


	5. Return to South Island

Disclaimer: I don't own Sonic Adventure 2 or Shadow or anything... SonicTeam and Sega do.

* * *

"Okay, Shadow, you ready?"

"Nnn..." Shadow winced.

Since Shadow's skin had healed enough, the plastic wrap had been replaced with normal bandaging... and now it was going to be removed altogether...

Sonic grinned halfheartedly. 'Great, just what I need to see... Shadow... with no fur...'

Tails, Amy, and Sonic stepped out of the way as the nurse came in the door.

It had been less than a week... and already Shadow had healed sufficiently to have all the dressings removed without a risk of infection. "The skin will heal faster while it's exposed to the air," the doctor had pointed out.

Shadow wriggled at the nurse's touch. 'Not in front of Sonic and his friends...'

Sonic covered Amy and Tails' eyes.

The nurse started to peel off the bandagings, when she was called out for another duty. She sighed. She said to Sonic, "Watch him, please..." She hurried out the door.

Sonic, Tails, and Amy walked over to Shadow cautiously. "How's it feel, huh Shad?" Sonic snickered. "A little cold?"

"...don't call me Shad..." Shadow muttered, his face being free of dressings.

"Does it hurt?" Amy squeaked. She could see some exposed skin where the singed fur had rubbed off.

"No." Shadow shook his head, the loose bandage irritating him. "Get it off..."

Sonic took the bandage and unwrapped some of it. "Sonic, don't..." said Tails. "You're not certified to do that--"

"Whatever." Sonic loosened the bandage. He removed it from Shadow's head.

Shadow opened his eyes wearily. He blinked twice to focus. The first thing he saw was Sonic's face, staring at his. Then Tails and Amy, peering over the edge of the bed.

"...what..." he coughed.

"Shadow's... fur..." Tails' eyes widened.

Shadow turned away and could feel his face flush. 'My fur... it probably all got burned off...'

"Shadow! Your fur... it's growing back already!"

"Wha?" Shadow's eyes widened, more than he would have liked to admit. He tried to look at himself...

"Sonic, he can't see his own face," Tails pointed out.

"What? Oh, yeah..." Sonic shrugged and pulled the bandages off Shadow's right arm.

The fur there was slightly more damaged than on his face, with more of it being singed off, but there was a soft fuzz growing back nonetheless. Shadow blinked and stared at it. His skin was still quite visible, but the black fur and the red stripe were beginning to show...

...and this worried him.

'They'll know who I am...' he thought. He touched his head and quills with his bare right hand. He could feel several quills that had torn or burned off, but still more that were obviously growing back. The distinct quills that turned up at the ends weren't back yet... but they would be.

Tails was also occupied with the same thoughts. "Sonic..." he pointed out, "the military and G.U.N. will be onto him if they can recognize who he is."

"But he helped me save the world!" Sonic said.

"But the military!"

"But we _saved the world!"_

"But what about 'Project: Shadow'?"

"But we _saved the world, Tails!!"_

"But you might get caught too!"

Sonic threw his arms in the air. "Tails, you ruin everything, you know."

The nurse came back in. "All right, let's get those bandages--" Seeing Shadow's head and arm free of bandages, she turned to Sonic, Tails, and Amy. "Did you take off--"

"Yeah," said Sonic. "So?"

The nurse sighed and turned back to Shadow. As she undid the bandages, an idea struck Tails.

"Um, ma'am? Could you give us an idea of what kind of condition he's in at the moment?"

"Uhh..." the nurse paused. She checked Shadow's profile. "Well... technically, there's really nothing left, just a few minor injuries here and there."

"Would it be possible for us to take Sha-- uh, him back home to recuperate, if that's okay?"

The nurse shrugged. "I don't know, you have to talk to the doctor about that one..."

As soon as the nurse left (with the remainder of Shadow's bandages), Sonic gave Tails a high-five. "Great idea. We could take him back to our old place. You know, South Island?"

Shadow was surprised that someone like Sonic actually had a place to call home.

Tails smiled. "I guess so. If he's okay, that is."

~*~

The doctor gave his approval, and within another week (with time running short; Shadow was regaining more of his old appearance every day) Tails had reworked the Tornado in order to carry Shadow back to South Island.

Amy volunteered to come with Sonic and Tails. After all, "living out on an island in the middle of nowhere can't be good. You boys need a girl's touch around."

Sonic shrugged. Tails giggled quietly, "Sonic and Amy, sitting in a tree, K-I-S--" before Sonic nearly strangled his best friend.

"Don't... say... that..." Sonic muttered angrily.

With Shadow, who was instructed by the doctor for "lots of rest and no stressors," the four set off for South Island.

~*~

Flying... I'm... flying...?

Has this happened before...

Yes... I remember...

But it wasn't on Earth...

...or was it?

...no...

...it was in space...

...but then it was on Earth...

...in Earth's atmosphere...

...its sky...?

...and then it crashed...

And I was captured by G.U.N....

...a space capsule

that I was in...

sent to Earth by...

...Maria...?

~*~

Shadow shook the feelings of deja vu from his mind. He woke up just as Tails announced their landing. He saw Sonic standing on the wings of the biplane and Amy sitting on the seat behind him. He himself was lying on the middle seat. Tails was piloting.

~*~

Sonic saw his ally's eyes open and stare at everything around him. Sonic grinned. Amazing of Tails that he was able to fix a third seat into the Tornado's design. Or actually the Tornado 3... He remembered the first one, the red and white one, with his name printed on it. And then the Tornado 2, the blue one, that turned into the Cyclone robot. And now the Tornado 3, a remake of the first Tornado, only bigger. He sighed. Exactly how Tails had gotten all the airplane parts and thrown together one in a week was beyond him. He shrugged. Eh, that was Tails' job anyway.

~*~

Tails concentrated on piloting the aircraft. It was a little wobbly... Fortunately, he trusted his talents enough to take quick looks at everyone else. Sonic was standing right on top of the wings, like usual. Amy was sitting on the back seat, apparently enjoying herself. And Shadow was looking around blankly. Absolutely no emotions showing on his face.

Tails turned his attention back to piloting. Why did Sonic seem so bent on keeping Shadow safe? Out of the three times that the two had previously met, twice they had fought each other, seemingly pounding the snot out of themselves... Why did Sonic care?

Of course. Sonic just has a good heart, that's all. He's not helping Shadow because Shadow's a good person. Sonic's helping because he, Sonic, is a good person.

Tails sighed. Hedgehogs. They're so complicated.


	6. Arrival at South Island

Disclaimer: I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog.

A/N: This chapter and the next may have a few things from "Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie," including South Island, which I know in the movie was a large floating island, with all sorts of various aircraft crashed on it. Of course, in the world of SA2:B, where everything is firmly attached to the ground (I hope, anyway), the exception being Angel Island, South Island has somehow fallen from the sky, I suppose, and is now anchored securely in the ocean. I mean, it's above water...

If you have not seen "Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie," I really suggest you do, it's a great anime movie, it was supervised by Sega, something like that, and the only bad thing is that the English voices are absolutely horrible until you get used to them.

* * *

A stranger sight had never reached Shadow's eyes.

A large, tropical island, with a huge mountain in the center... completely covered in wrecked aircraft.

As soon as Tails landed (on a landing strip seemingly built into the mountain itself,) Sonic hopped off the biplane and walked to a large, vine covered mass. He tore at the weeds and other plant life until he revealed a door.

A door to an airplane.

A very large airplane.

As Sonic and Tails carried Shadow into the airplane-house on an object something like a stretcher, Shadow raised an eyebrow as he stared at the odd, dusty surroundings. So did Amy.

"You two _lived_ in this dump??" she questioned in astonishment.

"Hey! It's not a dump!" Sonic argued, dropping Shadow a little quickly on the floor.

"Sonic..." Tails whined, quickly apologizing to Shadow. He looked around. "Although I guess we could clean up a bit..."

"Argh!!" Sonic muttered, then grabbed a bucket and headed out to fill it with water.

Tails located Sonic's old lounge chair and set it up. "Shadow, you can sit in this for a while." Shadow shrugged, then stood up and walked over to it.

Amy's eyes widened. "Shadow! You're not supposed to be walking around, you know..."

Shadow sat down. "I can do whatever I want..."

Just then Sonic walked up to him with a rag. "Well, no, you can't. You're going to help us clean up. And it's not a dump!!" he added, in Amy's direction.

Shadow glared at Sonic, then took the rag and started wiping the dust off of something sitting in the corner.

"Ahhh!" Tails yelped, then ran over to Shadow. "Be really careful with that, okay?"

"...what?" Shadow asked. Tails started dusting the machine really carefully.

"I was working on this a long time ago... but I never finished," he explained. "I kind of gave it up, after Eggman lost all of Sonic's data..." Tails started explaining.

"So, after I realized that there was no way for Eggman to build another Metal - er, sorry, Hyper Metal Sonic - without Sonic's data and... well, also after I figured this thing was beyond repair, I stopped working on it and when we, you know, Sonic and I, started moving around and going wherever we felt like it, I left behind a lot of stuff and this was one of them."

"What are you talking about?" Sonic asked Tails, now standing right next to him.

"You remember that navigator that Eggman gave us when we had to find the Egg-Generator?"

"Yeah... you rewired it to pick up me and Metal's brain waves."

"Mm-hmm. I was working on it before we left, seeing if I could repair it."

"What?!" shrieked Sonic. "You were working on a device that could pick up my brain waves?! What kind of crazy person are you?!"

Tails' eyes widened at the angry Sonic in front of him. "Well, if Eggman ever decided to build another Metal with your data, this would pick up its brain waves in advance--"

"But Eggman lost the data," Sonic pointed out.

"Let me finish!" Tails yelled. Everyone was quiet. "Thank you! And this would also pick up _your_ brain waves, in the event that we were ever separated and I needed to find you really quick."

"When would we ever be separated?" Sonic pointed out.

"Lots of times! You left me behind a _lot_ when I was little!" cried Tails.

"That's because you were _slow_!" Sonic yelled. "Not _my_ fault that I could always run like that."

"I needed a _plane_ to keep up with you sometimes!" Tails cried.

"Yeah?! Well--"

"That's _enough_!!" Amy screeched, jumping in between them. "What's done is done, and Tails! Throw that thing away!" she yelled, pointing at Tails' abandoned project.

"But... but..." Tails' eyes widened as he stared at his project. "I've never... thrown away... any of my projects before..."

"Do it, Tails," Sonic muttered. "There's never going to be another Metal, and you can keep up with me now, anyway."

"Oh, fine... but where are we going to throw it?" Tails asked.

Sonic sighed. "Whatever... keep it there. But clean it... Mr. Clean Freak..." he muttered.

"I am not a clean freak!" Tails said angrily.

Shadow sighed, left his cleaning rag on Tails' machine, and sat back down on Sonic's lounge chair. He wondered why he was here in the first place.

The more he thought about it, the stranger it seemed. He, Shadow, was here, on Earth, alive. But why?

'I could have died,' he told himself. 'I could have been with Maria. I could have been happy. I was ready, I was prepared to die.'

~*~

But Maria sent me back.

Unless it was only a vision...

Shadow closed his eyes in deep thought.

But why would my mind make up a vision of Maria, telling me to Chaos Control down to Earth?

Why did I come to Earth in the first place?

To carry out revenge?

No... that's not right. To fulfill Maria's wish. My promise.

But why did I want revenge?

And what was my promise, exactly?

...to make everyone on Earth happy.

And my being alive made Sonic and Tails happy. Probably the others, too.

So... I am still alive...

...so that I can carry out my promise even farther?

And the revenge...

...I can't remember...

...I was... supposed to avenge Maria...

...and destroy the people of Earth...

...but that wasn't right. Maria told me to make everyone happy.

I wonder...

On a planet as beautiful as Earth, everyone must be happy.

They don't know how lucky they are, to live on a place like this.

But if everyone is happy... then why am I still alive?

Why do I remember... what I remember?

~*~

Shadow's thoughts drifted, as he slowly fell asleep.

~*~

Sonic sat down on the beach, watching the sun set.

Tails, who was outside, noticed his friend. He walked over.

"Hi Sonic. What's going on?"

"Nothing..." Sonic replied.

Tails sat down next to Sonic. It was the perfect time to get something off his mind. "You know... I've been wondering..."

"Yeah?" Sonic asked, drawing something in the sand.

"...why... why are you trying so hard to keep Shadow safe? I mean, you two never did get along so well, except for that time with the FinalHazard..."

Sonic sighed. "Long story, buddy."

"There's time," Tails said. "Not like we're going anywhere."

"I don't like to dwell on the past, but..." Sonic trailed off. A few moments later, he began again. "I like to keep looking forward... the past is the past, there's nothing you can do to change it..."

"Where is this going?" Tails asked patiently.

"Well... about Shadow..."

"...yeah?" Tails prompted.

"...you remember Metal."


	7. Memories

Disclaimer: I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog.

A/N: If you haven't seen "Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie," I again recommend it! Besides being an overall great movie, it also shows how Sonic probably deals with sadness. And if you've beaten Sonic Adventure 2 or Sonic Adventure 2: Battle, you kind of get the same feeling from him...

* * *

"Metal?" Tails repeated.

"Yeah. The robot. Hyper Metal Sonic," Sonic repeated, clarifying it.

"What does Metal have to do with Shadow?"

"You don't understand. You just don't understand," Sonic said.

"Understand what?"

"Metal. He died."

"Yeah. I know."

"And I could have saved him."

"Oh." Tails nodded slowly. "I see..."

"You probably don't." Sonic shrugged. "I mean, this is why I don't live in the past. Too many things that happened." He stared off at the sun, which was setting slowly.

"Bad... things?" Tails asked. "Like... Metal's death and when we all thought Shadow died?"

"Not exactly..." Sonic said. "I've always been fast. I've always been able to run fast, and I want to keep going ahead. But thinking about the past is like going backwards. I can't change anything that's already happened, so I might as well move on. Like I say, I'll never look back, I've got no regrets, because the world doesn't wait for me..."

"You choose to go your own way," Tails finished.

There was a few minutes' silence. Sonic tried to start again. "I guess... in a way... I'm trying to keep Shadow safe, be nice to him, all that... kind of to make up for Metal."

"...Shadow isn't Metal," Tails reminded him quietly. "Metal was just a robot--"

"I know, I know..." Sonic waved it off, knowing that no one but himself would ever truly understand Metal... "But like I said, you really don't understand..."

"What?" Tails asked. He stood up. "What don't I understand?"

"You didn't really know him," Sonic said, a little frustrated. "Do you know what happened there, in the ice crater? Right before he melted into the magma?"

"No."

"He... I... we were both totally beat up and exhausted. I mean, he was completely broken all over, and that's really something when you're made out of metal. Then he saved the president and Ojisan from the airplane, but then it exploded..." Sonic shook his head. "He fell into the crater where the magma was. Then I ran in after him... and Knuckles ran after me... And he was crawling away from the bottom of the crater, away from the magma pool, and I kept going forward, going in after him. Then Knuckles grabbed onto me and wouldn't let me go. But I kept trying anyway. Then, we almost reached each other..."

Tails saw Sonic frown.

Sonic continued. "And... at that last moment, he slapped my hand away. And then he told me... 'There is only one Sonic... Then he was gone..."

Tails nodded. "But what does this have to do with Shadow?"

"When I saw Shadow falling..." Sonic said, staring blankly at the ground, "it was reliving the past all over again. I saw Shadow... but I also saw Metal... it was like I had let him down again. I'd let him kill himself all over again. I'd let them both killl themselves."

"I didn't know Metal all that well... and I don't know Shadow all that well, either... but from what you've told me, it kind of sounds like Metal knew what he was doing... but Shadow didn't have any control over it," Tails reasoned.

"Shadow could have used Chaos Control too," Sonic said. "We were both in Super form when he started falling."

Tails began. "But why--"

"Because. I didn't want to," Shadow answered Tails' question, appearing right behind Tails and Sonic.

"Shadow!" Sonic exclaimed. "What are you doing out here?"

"What I'm doing is none of your business," Shadow answered. "And it's none of your business as to why I chose to do what I did." He turned and started walking back to the airplane-house.

"Shadow, wait," Sonic called after him, scrambling to his feet.

"Mm?" Shadow turned his head and looked back.

"Why... why didn't you use Chaos Control before you entered the atmosphere? It would have been a lot easier on your body..." Sonic asked weakly. "If you did it anyway..."

Shadow's eyes flashed. "Like I said. None of your business." Shadow turned and walked back indoors.

Tails stood up and walked over to Sonic. "He's right... it isn't..." he sighed.

Sonic groaned and ran a hand through his quills. "And that, my friend, is why I don't like to live in the past..."

~*~

Shadow heard Sonic's comment from outside. He whispered to himself, "Maybe that is for the best... I should stop living in the past too..." He walked to the chair and fell asleep in it again. But he couldn't ignore a pain, a feeling of emptiness and sadness, gnawing away at his heart and mind...

Shadow thought, as he dreamed... he remembered hearing somewhere...

"If something isn't working out the way you wanted, you are doing something wrong."

The old professor had said that...

"What am I doing wrong..." Shadow whispered to himself.

"Nothing's worked out right. I was completely prepared to die... I planned my death..." he admitted to himself. "But Maria came and stopped it...

"She came and stopped a living person from dying. But why? I fulfilled my promise... I think. I didn't have any more reason to live any longer..."

Shadow rethought what he'd heard Sonic say about Metal... and himself.

"Time replayed history..." he sighed quietly. "That... Metal...? And myself...

"And he believed that we killed ourselves... that I killed myself..."

Shadow's eyes lost their cold, icy look for a moment. "...I feel... remorse... somehow."

~*~

"Stupid!!" Sonic muttered, kicking at the dirt outside the house.

"What's stupid?" Amy asked him.

"Why did I tell Tails and Shadow about how I remembered Metal? Why did Metal die? Why did Shadow trick me into thinking he died?!" Sonic yelled.

"Metal? You mean that horrible--"

"Yeah, I met him again after I met you. But," Sonic changed the subject, "if Shadow was going to save himself after all, why did he make us all think he died?!"

"Maybe he didn't decide to do it until later?" Amy offered.

"Argh!" Sonic sat down. "We were in Super form! He could have saved himself any old time he wanted before he hit the atmosphere! But nooo, he had to wait until he was starting to get burned up before he saves himself! If he'd just used Chaos Control with me I wouldn't feel so bad..."

Amy sighed and walked back inside. As she passed the sleeping Shadow, she heard him murmur and saw him frown angrily...

"My memories are real..."

~*~

'Metal...' Sonic thought...

'Metal was the only person who could ever understand me, understand everything I did... we were... linked, somehow. Every one of my thoughts, my feelings... he thought or felt. He had my abilities... or maybe I had his... We were equals in every way.

'And the only person who's ever come, even close to that, was Shadow.

'Which is probably why it stung so much when Metal died. When Shadow almost died...'

Sonic swallowed hard.

'It's no good living in the past... _you can never change the past...'_

He stared out over the ocean.

_'But I wish I could...'_


	8. Flashbacks

Disclaimer: I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog or anything associated with him.

A/N: This is kind of a filler chapter for what Sonic remembers about Metal's death and how it leads up to Shadow's. If you've seen the movie, you don't really need to read this chapter (it's not really vital to the story)... but you might want to anyway.

* * *

Sonic walked inside the house. He didn't even bother to check on Shadow, who was at the moment asleep in Sonic's favorite chair.

Sonic made his way to the back of the room, where he opened a door that led further into South Island's mountain. He plodded his way to his own room, which had been abandoned for years.

He sat down in his second-favorite chair.

'Metal...' he thought...

~*~

It all started so easily...

Ojisan, that old owl, coming to South Island, telling us that the President, or rather the President of that time, wanted us to come to the capitol...

Instead of the President, we met Eggman instead, who had the President and his daughter Sara hostage...

Eggman told us about a Dark Eggman, who had kicked him out of his Eggman Land. He told me and Tails to go stop the Egg Generator, which would explode at sunrise if we didn't stop it.

We got to Eggman Land... we stopped the generator...

...we met Metal.

~*~

They were at the North Pole. Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Eggman, Sara... and Metal.

Knuckles had informed the President, and at the same time inadvertently both Sonic and Metal (for Sonic was listening, and anything Sonic heard Metal could too) about the planet's weak spot, a giant glacier at the North Pole. Below the glacier, and through the ice bridges that held the continents together, ran rivers of magma, like blood vessels throughout a body.

If the glacier was punctured... magma would pour out and melt the glacier and the ice bridges too... the continents would no longer be connected... the planet's rotation would hurl them off into space...

So Metal had taken off for the North Pole, Sonic following closely.

But not closely enough. Metal had already broken a hole through the glacier. And the only thing he wanted now was to destroy Sonic. While the two hedgehogs fought, Knuckles dug through the ground, stopping the magma from reaching the surface of the ice.

The planet was seemingly saved. But was Sonic?

Battered, bruised, and in a lot of overall pain, Sonic finally almost fell to Metal's robotic strength... until Tails short-circuited Metal, using the robot's own brainwaves.

A last Spin Attack... and Metal was thrown far off into the distance.

But at that moment, the President and Ojisan had shown up in a hovercraft, unintentionally crashing into the glacier. The hovercraft's position put it in a dangerous position; if the magma touched it, it would explode...

Sonic tried to make his way to the hovercraft... but an ever-so-persistent Metal blocked his path...

Knuckles, who had finished digging, flew to the hovercraft in an attempt to punch it open.

Sonic finally threw Metal off. Metal crashed into the hovercraft...

When the smoke cleared, Metal was seen carrying Ojisan and the President. He dumped them at Sonic's feet, then fell into the lava pit...

Despite his own injuries and pain, Sonic ran to the edge himself. Knuckles followed Sonic in a panic.

Sonic's eyes widened at the sight of the robot, lying dangerously close to the lava. "Metal!!" He slid down the side of the pit and reached for Metal.

"Sonic, don't, he'll pull you under with him!" Knuckles grabbed Sonic, stopping him from going any further.

Sonic kept struggling. So did Metal.

Their hands almost touched...

...until Metal slapped it away.

In shock, Sonic stared into the red eyes...

...and heard Metal's last thought...

..."There is only one Sonic..."

And the robot slid, maybe helplessly, maybe unable to change his fate, or maybe on purpose, into the sizzling hot lava.

The heat stung Sonic's face as he watched Metal melt into the lava. "Metal!" he shouted, trying again to reach.

Knuckles held him back. Sonic watched helplessly as a part of him died...

...the red eyes faded into the red lava.

_"METAL!!!"_

~*~

And then, those same, sad red eyes...

"Shadow..." Sonic stared, from the edge of the colony... from the edge of a safe haven...

"Maria... this is right..." Shadow's words left his mouth, as if being dragged by it.

Sonic could see the dark elements of space, trying to undo Shadow's very being... but the aura of the Chaos Emeralds, still, if faintly, powering his Super form, keeping them away...

A purple light seemed to shine from the silver hedgehog himself, until he faded from view... the light disappearing in a quick sparkle.

Sonic swallowed, his eyes not leaving the spot where Shadow vanished, then backed away to report the sad news to his friends.

Shadow the Hedgehog... was dead.

~*~

"Only he wasn't," Sonic said, still sitting in his second-favorite chair. "He lived... how, I'll probably never know, but the faker lived..."

Sonic's words floated down the stairs, into Shadow's ears. He shook his head.

"I've really got to stop eavesdropping..." he muttered to himself.

"Faker..." he muttered. "I..." he stopped, unable to continue.

~*~

Listening to Sonic speaking about that Metal... whoever that was.

History had replayed itself, with both of their 'deaths'...

Shadow walked outside. It had been one day since they'd arrived at the island. The sun was rising.

With the rising sun, Shadow felt rising anger.

"Why am I alive?!" he shouted at the sun. He quickly looked back to make sure he hadn't woken anyone up.

"Why am I alive..." he muttered to the ground.

"Earth is so perfect... so perfect, I don't see how anyone living here could be unhappy. So my mission is complete. I saved Earth... what more could Maria want of me?" Shadow stamped the ground in frustration. "I want to go... I'm tired. I've lived my life, and it was a good life. I saved Earth. I made everyone happy. So why can't I join you..." he asked the indigo sky, which was slowly being washed over with pink and orange light.

"Unless..."

_:::"Do you really believe that you're the real Shadow?"_

_ "No doubt..."_

_ "Even your memories might not be real...":::_

"If Maria never told me to save the Earth... if I really didn't have a mission... if she never met me...

"...then I have no right to go to her."


	9. Are There Unhappy People?

Disclaimer: I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog.

A/N: Heh heh, a little Shadamy in this chapter. Not to worry any Sonamy fans, though, I'm a Sonamy supporter... Yeah... just throwing in a "what if" kind of thing...

There's some footnotes, so that's what the asterisks are for. (example, *, **, etc.)

* * *

Dreams...

Shadow sat up on the beach, after a short nap under the sky, feeling the sting of Sonic calling him a faker, that last time.

'I have to talk to someone...' Shadow whimpered, unable to stop himself.

'I have to talk to Maria... but... she's not here... no...' Shadow forced himself to look down the beach, and noticed a pink figure sitting near the water. '...next best thing.'

~*~

Amy was sitting outside, enjoying the fresh sunshine. She dangled her feet in the crystal-clear water and giggled. A shadow fell across her. A shadow she noticed had quills.

"Sonic..." she said, smiling, as she turned around. Only to see that it was Shadow.

"Sorry," Shadow said, sitting down next to her. "Hope I didn't disappoint you."

"Oh..." Amy sighed. "It's nothing..."

The two hedgehogs sat in silence for several minutes. Amy finally asked, "Is there something that's bothering you?"

Shadow shifted a little. "Well... um... you... Maria... you're like Maria... I thought you'd talk like her..."

"What?" Amy was confused.

Shadow inwardly groaned and stood up. "You reminded me of Maria on ARK... I was thinking I could talk to you the way I talked to her..." He walked off, feeling particularly foolish.

Amy stood up. "Waaait, Shadow!" She smiled. "I'll talk to you~"

"Really?" Shadow asked, looking back.

"Yes... I guess. I'm a nice girl, that's all."

"Well..." Shadow walked back and sat down. "It's... it's just that... Sonic and Tails... I don't think they'd understand... really, and you're the only other person here." Shadow inwardly slapped himself. 'Why am I having trouble talking to a girl?'*

"Ohhh..." Amy smiled to herself. 'He's so shy...'**

Shadow kept going. "You see, when I was with Eggman and Rouge... Rouge did research on Project Shadow, and... she said... um... she told me that... Maria might not.... I might not have ever met Maria." Shadow finished this last part with a sigh.

"Well, why not?"

"Because... because.... Rouge thinks that I was created on Earth, and that Professor Gerald created my memories..."

"So you think your memories aren't real?" Shadow nodded.

Amy continued. "Well... I don't think your memories aren't real."

Shadow looked up in surprise.

Amy said, "If the professor really wanted revenge, he wouldn't have given you a memory of Maria telling you to protect Earth, right?"

Shadow stood up, relieved. "Thanks, Amy... that helped..." He walked off.

Amy giggled. "Wow... stuck on a tropical island with two hunky hedgehogs~ What could be better..."*** She giggled again.

~*~

As Shadow walked back to the house, he smiled.

'Thank you, Amy... you really do remind me of Maria... yes... I'll admit, you're a strange one sometimes, but... you and Maria... you both have pure hearts...'

'But...' he thought. 'If Maria told me to stay alive... maybe there are unhappy people still...'

From the snoring upstairs, Shadow deducted that Sonic was still asleep. He saw Tails, tinkering with some machinery.

"Um..." he walked up to Tails, slowly. Tails was different than Sonic and Amy... he was a little more quiet, less self-centered...

"Oh... Shadow." Tails was a little nervous. Sonic trusted Shadow... so... he supposed it was all right...

"Tails... are there unhappy people on Earth?" Shadow asked plainly.

"Oh... unhappy people? I guess..." Tails turned back to his machine.

"Really?" Shadow was surprised. "But... they live here... what could they be unhappy about...?"

"Oh, I don't know... there's lots of things wrong with this planet... it's not as perfect as it seems," Tails answered.

"...thanks..." Shadow left quickly.

Tails looked as Shadow walked outside again. "Strange guy," he said, then kept on working.

~*~

It seems strange for someone who has lived their entire life in the darkness of space to understand that a beautiful planet such as Earth would have problems.

To live your life in harsh conditions... then be exposed to such a seemingly perfect place...

...you forget that it's not perfect.

Shadow had no knowledge of Earth's troubles.

He knew what it was like to have no friends...

...to be without others...

...and loss.

The loss of a treasured person.

But he didn't know...

...didn't know about hunger, poverty...

ARK had been a home...

...he didn't know about being without one.

He didn't know about others' suffering...

...suffering from overwork, little pay, discrimination.

About how far these people were from

..."happiness."

* * *

* - Did that bother anyone? Wanted to know.

** - Read the above.

*** - That was kind of weird for me to write... but I thought it was kind of funny, so I left it in.

-Ryuko


	10. A Disguise?

Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic the Hedgehog. Hasn't Sega figured that out by now...?

A/N: Hey... this has nothing to do with the story, but has anyone else gotten the "Shadow Grinder" toy from McDonald's? :) It's sitting by my computer right now. It gives me inspiration! Ha ha ha...

* * *

The next morning, Shadow walked calmly up to the others, who were eating fish for breakfast.

"I want to leave the island..."

Sonic and Tails choked. While they were recovering, Amy asked, "Why? Aren't you afraid the government will come after you...?"

Shadow shrugged. "I like this place... it's very nice... but, I think... there's opportunities waiting for me... somewhere else..."

'Opportunities... to help people,' he thought.

Sonic took a drink of water. Then he grinned. "I know! A disguise!" he yelled.

Shadow stepped backwards. Who knew what Sonic was thinking about.

Sonic leaned his chair back on two legs and smiled, apparently happy with his plan. "Yeah, all we really have to do is change your fur and eye color, oh, and maybe give you an alias name, and boom! No more government chasing you!"

Shadow was confused. "What... you can change your eye color...?"

Sonic snickered at the puzzled hedgehog. "You're not fifty years in the past anymore, my friend..."

~*~

A few hours later, after a short trip to the rebuilt Station Square, Sonic and Amy laid out everything they'd bought for Shadow's "disguise" on the floor. All four of them sat down to take a look.

Shadow picked up a bottle of hair-dye, intrigued by it. Sonic and Tails covered their mouths and giggled at Shadow's lack of knowledge about such things.

Amy rolled her eyes at the boys, then showed the label to Shadow. "See, it's to change the color of your fur..."

Shadow drew back from Amy, shocked at the idea. He stared at the bottle a little longer. "But... but... it's _purple..."_ he stammered in disgust.

Sonic muttered to Amy, "See, I _told_ you, get _normal_ colors..." Amy sniffed and gathered up the more unnatural shades.

Shadow studied the remaining colors: yellow, tan, brown, red-brown, and black. His eyes shifted to the black container.

"...don't you think that might be too close to what you look like now?" Tails offered. Shadow shrugged.

"I don't want to look _that_ different..." he muttered.

"Oh, don't worry... this kind will wash off, if you don't like it. We didn't get a permanent kind," Amy reassured him.

Sonic grabbed the bottle of yellow dye. "...if you use this, people will think it's me in Super form walking around..." He tossed it to Amy.

Shadow looked at the other three colors. Red-brown was the darkest. He picked it up.

Amy suggested, "If you like dark colors, I've got some more..."

"How many did you buy?" Shadow asked incredulously.

Amy set out three more colors: dark green, navy blue, and a dark yellow-brown. Shadow studied them carefully.

Sonic raised an eyebrow and picked up the navy blue color. He compared it to his own fur.

Amy squealed, "Oh, Shadow, if you use that one, people will think you and Sonic are related!"

Tails thought. "That would... work," he agreed.

"What?!" Sonic exclaimed, not too excited with the idea.

Amy continued. "Ooh, and if we used green colored contacts... it'd be just... _perfect!"_ she chirped.

"Uhh..." Shadow stammered, also not too excited.

Amy stood up and dragged Shadow to his feet. "Let's go try it out!" she giggled.

"But... I..." Shadow resisted, not too eager to try it.

"Sonic, help me," Amy whined. Sonic grinned at the black hedgehog's plight, then stood up and began to help Amy drag Shadow to a bathroom. Even Tails started to giggle at Shadow's expression of horror.

Shadow wrenched the other hedgehogs' hands off of him. He snatched the bottle of hair-dye. "I'll do it myself..." he grumbled, then headed off to the bathroom.

As soon as he had gone in, Sonic and Tails fell to the ground, rolling with laughter. Amy put her hands on her hips, but even she couldn't help a smile.

Sonic gasped, "Did you see...?! Did you get a good look at his face when Amy was going to drag him off to the bathroom?! Ha ha ha!!"

Tails giggled. "And when she said to give him blue fur and green eyes, too? How funny! Ha ha ha ha!!"

Sonic stopped laughing. "I hope you mean, 'Shadow with blue fur and green eyes is funny', not 'blue fur and green eyes are funny'..."

Tails stopped laughing. "Uh... of course I mean 'Shadow with blue fur and green eyes is funny'..."

Amy was studying Sonic carefully. He noticed it and scooted away. "What are you looking at...?" he asked.

Amy looked at him a little longer, then asked, "Is that your natural fur color?"

Sonic said flatly, "What, you think some hedgehogs aren't born blue...?"

Amy shrugged. "No, it's just that... it's not very common, is it?"

Sonic sighed. "Do you think I have enough money to actually go and dye my fur?"

Amy sighed. "Sorry. No offense meant."

"None taken."

Tails giggled at the two hedgehogs.

"...I look stupid, don't I..."

Amy, Sonic, and Tails turned in the direction of Shadow's voice.

Amy gasped.

"Shadow...?"

Sonic rubbed his eyes. "Wow... amazing what a change of fur color will do to you..."

Shadow, now a dark blue color, stood before the others, blushing furiously. "Just say it. I look stupid."

"No... you look..." Amy stopped mid-sentence, her face in a huge grin.

"...wow..." Tails grinned.

Sonic stood up. "Put to a vote... three against one. Blue it is," he announced.

Shadow was quiet, but his face continued to glow pink.

Amy giggled. "Now for your eyes..." Shadow groaned in humiliation.

Sonic and Tails laughed.

* * *

A/N: ^_^ Poor Shadow.

Well, I'd like to celebrate my 10th chapter! Woo! I've never reached ten chapters before!

Shadow: Yeah you have, with your talk show fic.

Me: . Oh, that doesn't count, half the time someone was screaming for two pages. (Don't bother looking for the fic, I don't have it posted on . It was pretty crazy, for example, Sonic wearing singing boxers and Shadow chicken dancing...)

Sonic: ...oh the horror.

Me: ...I really hope that fic never sees the light of day... on , anyway.

Sonic: ...you rhymed.

Me: ...yes, yes I did...

Well... celebrating the first ten chapters of Wishes Are Eternal are "Wishes Are Eternal Bloopers," which is posted on my website, which can be found on my profile page.

I'll be seeing you all soon!

-Ryuko


	11. Are You Jealous of Green Eyes?

Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic the Hedgehog... but I will someday... wait and see...

* * *

_"No!"_

"Oh, just try them, who knows? You might look good with green eyes!"

_"NO!"_

"Hold still... you're going to get hurt if you keep moving!"

_"I don't want green eyes!"_

"Please?"

"...uh... I... I don't know..."

"We'll take them out if you don't like them, okay?"

"Well..."

_"Pretty please?"_

Sonic and Tails grinned as they listened, ears pressed against the bathroom door.

"I can just imagine... those big puppy dog eyes..." Sonic snickered.

"Absolutely no way to resist," Tails giggled.

"There, you look great! Let's go show Sonic and Tails!" Amy opened the door, causing Sonic and Tails to fall face-first at her feet.

"Um... hi Amy?" Sonic laughed nervously.

Amy sniffed, then pushed Shadow in front of her. She smiled. "What do you think?"

Sonic stared at the hedgehog in front of him. His eyes widened.

"Wow..." he squeaked.

"They look like... carbon copies," Tails said in awe.

Shadow's face flushed. "Do I really look that different...?"

Sonic stood up. "We could pass as family..." he muttered.

"Perfect!" Amy said. "If anyone asks, we'll just say he's your cousin or something... Oh! I've got the greatest finishing touches..." She ran excitedly up the stairs.

"Wonder what she's up to..." Tails said, standing up.

Sonic looked at where Amy had gone. "...I think I'll follow her..." He walked cautiously up the stairs.

Tails and Shadow watched until Sonic and Amy were out of sight. Then a yell echoed down from the upper floor.

_"NO WAY!"_

"Oh, Sonic, it's only for a little while."

_"Listen, giving him blue fur is okay! Giving him green eyes is... okay! But... Amy, you're taking this __too far!"_

"Sonic! You don't even wear them anymore!"

_"Amy? What exactly are you trying to do to the guy?!"_

"Nothing! But he can't walk around barefoot in the city!"

Shadow and Tails shrugged at each other in confusion.

"Stop paying so much attention to him!"

"Sonic, if I didn't know you better, I'd say you were jealous."

"W-what? No!"

"Then let him have them!"

"...fine..."

Sonic stomped downstairs, in a visibly bad mood, followed by Amy, who was carrying an old pair of Sonic's shoes and gloves. She held them up to Shadow.

"Here, try them on!"

Shadow took the shoes and gloves, glancing sideways at Sonic, who was looking in the opposite direction. He gingerly tried them on. They fit.

"See? Now you can have something to wear," Amy giggled.

"At least until you get your own things..." Sonic grumbled.

Tails nudged Sonic. "What's wrong with letting him use your old shoes?"

Sonic scratched the back of his head. "Um..." He grabbed Tails by the arm and took him outside. Once they were there, he explained.

"It's not so much about letting him use my stuff. I mean, I'm more than happy to... it's just, watching... I mean, I just think she's paying way too much attention to him, it was my idea anyway..." Sonic trailed off.

Tails grinned. "You're jealous."

Sonic retorted, "Am not," but couldn't help his face turning a little red.

Tails smiled. "Yeah you are. But it's not like she likes him."

"I... I know."

"She's just got another person to play around with, and Shadow doesn't exactly know how to say no to her."

"Yeah... yeah, I guess."

Tails started to walk back inside. "...but you were jealous. Admit it."

"No, I wasn't!" Sonic followed his best friend inside.

As Sonic walked inside, he saw Shadow look at him, then pull off the shoes and gloves. He handed them back to Sonic.

"Um... if you don't want me to have them..." he shrugged nonchalantly.

"...nah, you keep them," Sonic pushed them back. "Keep 'em... you don't have to return 'em or anything..."

Shadow looked surprised. He looked down and smiled at the clothes in his arms. "Th... thank you," he murmured, then slipped them back on and left for outside. Sonic shrugged, then walked back to his room.

Outside, Shadow smiled lightly at his new shoes and gloves. Even so, he knew nothing would replace his old hover-skates... the ones the professor had made...

He looked around the small beach. He took off at a sprint, trying to get used to running without levitating a few inches off the ground.

The increased friction tired him out faster, and he walked back inside for a rest. He sat down on Sonic's chair, then looked at his shoes again. He smiled. 'Interesting,' he thought, 'how a getting small thing like shoes can make someone feel good...' He lay down to sleep for a while...

~*~

Meanwhile, Sonic sat against the wall of his room.

_'Must be getting soft...'_ he thought, then settled down for the night.


	12. Return to the City and GUN

Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic the Hedgehog.

A/N: ^^;; Wow. So many people were freaked out by the fact that I gave Shadow green eyes and blue fur? Hmm. *shrugs* Actually, that was just a spur-of-the-moment idea, but I thought of a way to make it fit into the plot...

Well, enjoy this next chapter, as short as it may seem to be... *sighs*

* * *

The next morning, Shadow awoke early.

Sleepily, he made his way to the bathroom. He jumped at his reflection in the mirror, having forgotten about his 'new look.'

He blinked once, trying to clear his vision, then sighed at his image. His red stripes and black fur, gone...

Shadow sighed and leaned on the sink counter. He took another look and saw that everything, minus the peach-colored skin around his face, was colored...

He scowled, then started the water going. Furiously, he rubbed the blue color away from the small tuft of fur on his chest. When it was a clean white again, he stepped back and looked at himself in the mirror again.

'_Not quite... but it'll do for now...'_

Shadow wondered if he'd ever be able to be himself again...

~*~

But at that moment... his chances suddenly slimmed.

Far off, in a different part of the world, G.U.N. was hiding, healing its devastating wounds and recuperating.

But this time...

...they were prepared.

G.U.N. had a mission.

A mission... to wipe out Project: Shadow.

The organization wasn't sure if the experiment, Shadow the Hedgehog, was still alive or not...

...but they now had a new adversary.

The blue hedgehog.

The one who was a worldwide hero.

His origin: unknown.

His past: unknown.

His motives: unknown.

G.U.N. had a terrible mission. One that dealt with the events, fifty years past.

Few knew the truth behind the attack on ARK.

Their real reason... had been to wipe out all forms of life that could possibly become more powerful than themselves...

...humankind.

Project: Shadow might be dead.

But it might not.

But this blue hedgehog... was most certainly alive.

When the awards ceremony had been broadcast worldwide, G.U.N. had instantly noticed this hedgehog.

Who was he... where was he born...

_...how_ was he born...

For G.U.N. had constructed an interesting... yet startling... theory...

...maybe... just maybe...

...this blue hedgehog... "Sonic"...

...and Project: Shadow...

...were somehow linked.

Because, for a normal hedgehog to be born with such a strange mutation...

_...super speed... speed that surpassed the speed of sound..._

...was not scientifically acceptable.

Not to G.U.N.

To G.U.N.... the two needed to be eliminated.

Sonic. And Shadow.

For G.U.N. believed that Man was the ultimate race... the one that would forever hold power over the planet.

And with such... such _threats..._

...who knew what damage these creatures could create, should they decide to turn on humans?

G.U.N. had a mission.

They would not abandon it.

Because, unfortunately...

...what Man does not understand, he fears.

What he fears... he hates.

What he hates... he destroys.

~*~

"Hey, you guys, you ready to go?" Tails asked, starting up his new plane.

"Just a minute!" Amy called from the door, gathering up the belongings that she had taken with her to the island.

"Hurry up!" Sonic yelled, hopping into the plane. "You ready, Shadow?"

"Mm-hmm..." Shadow murmured, climbing into the plane also.

"Okay! We're taking off in ten... nine..." Tails called, teasingly, to Amy.

"Ah! Wait! No! You can't do this to me!" Amy screeched at them, grabbing her backpack and clambering into the plane.

"Haha!" Sonic and Tails broke into laughter. Even Shadow couldn't help a smile.

"Ooh! Sometimes, you boys...!!" Amy frowned, folding her arms and sitting in the back. Sonic and Tails laughed even more.

"Ah, come on Amy, just a joke..." Sonic grinned apologetically.

"Yeah, whatever," Amy sighed, looking at Sonic's shining green eyes. _'I just can't stay mad at him...'_

Tails glanced back, making sure everyone was securely fastened into their seats. He did a double-take at Shadow. "...you know, I don't think I'll ever get used to you looking like that..."

"Neither will I," Shadow muttered.

Sonic grinned and folded his hands behind his head. "Hey, once we get to Station Square, let's set everyone straight on you. Then you can walk around in public without that getup on."

Shadow sighed. "Let's hope..."

Sonic gave him a thumbs-up. "Hey, it's not like G.U.N.'s still after you or anything."

"Hm... I suppose..."

The four friends took off into a clear blue sky...

...blissfully unaware of the storms that would lie ahead.

* * *

A/N: ^_^ Yes, I know I haven't updated in forever. And this chapter seemed a little short to me... hmm. Anyway, I figure that I can turn out a whole bunch of little chapters a little bit faster than if I try to make a big one all at once, so the next chapter should be coming along pretty soon. I finally broke the writer's block on this story, so I'll be trying to work on this one as much as possible! Thanks for waiting, though!

-Ryuko


	13. Attacked

Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic the Hedgehog... do _you? _...didn't think so.

A/N: Thanks for being so patient while waiting for me to post. ^^;; My excuse? ...homework. --;; One big project after another...

* * *

Sonic lightly stepped down the stairs in front of the red brick apartment building. He looked up and down the normally-quiet street, but at this time in the morning it was completely deserted. Just early enough that no one was commuting to work, yet the shops that were open during the night were closed.

Grinning, he took a deep breath, smelling the morning air and dew...

...and sped off towards Emerald Coast.

~*~

About three or four hours later, Tails awoke, yawning, lying on the futon in Amy's guest bedroom. He sniffed the air and smelled breakfast cooking.

Smiling happily, he hopped down and headed downstairs.

"Good morning Amy!" he chirped, then took his place at the kitchen table. "What's for breakfast?"

Standing at the stove, she replied, "Eggs, pancakes, sausages... oh, just about everything." Tails raised an eyebrow. Amy asked, "Have you seen Sonic?"

"Nope," Tails answered, grabbing a plate. He asked Shadow, who was sitting at the table, "Have you?"

"Ran out this morning," Shadow said quietly.

"Did he say where he was going?" Amy asked, stirring the scrambled eggs.

"No... but I think he went to the beach."

"You should have gone with him... it's not good for you to stay cooped up like this, Shadow," Amy said.

It had been two days since they'd arrived at Amy's apartment in Station Square. Shadow had stayed indoors the whole time...

"I... I just don't know... the humans on this planet... what would they think?" Shadow mused.

Tails added, "He's got a point, Amy. And we don't really know if the military's after him."

Amy sighed and put her hands on her hips. "Well, they should learn. You're not such a bad person after all, Shadow."

"I just wish they didn't have that impression of me in the first place," Shadow answered dejectedly.

"Just go get some sunshine today," Amy replied. "After all, it'll be more difficult for you to be recognized, what with your fur and eyes different colors... and once people get used to you, then you just wash it off and show them who you really are."

'_Will that work...?'_ Shadow wondered.

"And don't wander too far away! I don't want you getting lost," Amy added. Shadow reddened slightly, while Tails giggled.

"That goes for you, too, Tails."

"Oh, come on... it's not my first time in the city."

Amy turned around, plastic spatula in hand. "Do you _see_ the way Sonic weaves in and out between those cars, running all over town, and I don't know where he is or if something's happened to him?! I won't have you two worrying me like he does!" She turned back to the food with a small 'hmph'.

Tails slumped down in his chair. "Sorry, Amy."

Amy waved the spatula in the air nonchalantly. "It's all right... but I do want you to get some exercise, you hear me Shadow?"

"Right... okay..."

"Breakfast is served," Amy declared, moving the food onto several platters that were sitting on the kitchen table. "Wow, I haven't had guests in a long time...! I'd better go shopping soon..."

Tails stared at the veritable mountain of food. "Maybe you should just cook less...?" Amy glared. "But it looks really good! Really..."

Amy smiled. "Good! Let's all go shopping later today!"

Tails groaned. Shadow was quiet, spreading jam on some toast.

The timer went off on the oven. Amy stood up. "That'll be dessert..." she said, grabbing some oven mitts.

Tails' eyes widened. "'Dessert'...?"

Shadow took a bite of the toast.

While Amy's back was turned, Tails leaned over and whispered to Shadow, "Get out of here while you can... you _do not_ want to go shopping with Amy."

~*~

'_Why am I shopping... with _Amy?' Tails asked himself, as he and the pink hedgehog walked down the street, Amy looking in the windows and trying to decide which stores to visit first.

"Amy... weren't we going to get groceries?" Tails asked weakly.

"Oh, that can wait... oh! Look at that dress! It's so adorable..." Amy squealed, peering into yet another window. "Sonic would love it!" She rushed inside.

Tails stood on the sidewalk. He felt somewhat like calling after her, 'Sonic doesn't _care_ about clothes...!!', but he somehow knew that Amy wouldn't hear him, anyway...

Tails folded his hands behind his head, ignoring the people who were smiling and whispering about him.

A little girl ran up to the two-tailed fox. "Mr. Tails... sir?"

"Um... hello."

"Can I have your autograph?" The girl held out a pad of paper and a pencil. "You saved Station Square!"

Tails laughed weakly. "Yeah... I did." He carefully printed his name on the notepad. "Here you go."

"Thank you sir!" The little girl ran off.

Tails sighed. _'No wonder Sonic likes really uninhabited places,'_ he thought. _'I'd never be able to stand it...'_

"I wonder what Shadow's doing?" he mused quietly.

Meanwhile, Shadow opened the front door of the apartment. _'So far, so good...'_ he thought.

Wearing Sonic's old, red shoes, he stepped onto the concrete pavement. The sun shone through his dark blue fur, making it warm up quickly.

Shadow looked around, making sure that as few people as necessary saw him. He lightly stepped out onto the sidewalk.

"I... guess I'll go down to Emerald Coast...?" he murmured to himself.

Taking off at a slow run, he jogged down the street...

~*~

"_AARGH!"_

Sonic rolled into a ball, then spun out of reach of his attackers. "Who are you?! What do you want?!" he screamed furiously as he landed on his feet, scattering sand.

But he didn't receive an answer from the group of about seven humans and many more robots that were standing on the beach.

'_Good thing this place is nearly deserted...'_ Sonic thought. _'But who are these people?!'_

"Calm down, animal," one of the humans, a man, said, walking towards Sonic. "We just want to take you down to our lab for a while... nothing too important..."

"...what do you want..." Sonic asked, glaring. _'I can't even see his face...'_

"Not to worry... if you're a nice, normal little hedgehog, we'll let you go..." A robot made a wild lunge for Sonic, who jumped into the air and smashed the robot's torso.

"What the heck do you mean, 'normal'? And what if I'm not?" Sonic asked, crossing his arms. "And what's the idea, interrupting my relaxation?"

"You stupid animal...!" a different man called out. "Give yourself up!"

"No! Don't you know who I am?" Sonic dashed down the beach.

"Get him!" the leader ordered. The robots took off after Sonic, firing at the blue hedgehog.

"My name is Sonic! And you aren't going to catch me anytime soon!" Sonic coiled himself into a ball, then spun rapidly.

"Get him! Now!" the humans ordered their mechanical weapons. The robots prepared to fire at Sonic.

But not fast enough. Sonic spun towards the robots, sand spraying behind him.

The leader watched in shock as each robot seemed to detonate, one after the other. After a matter of seconds, it was over.

There was no chance of capturing the hedgehog.

Sonic suddenly appeared him, standing before the scene of destruction. "Leave. Now."

One of the men in the group started to run towards the hedgehog. But the leader stopped him.

"Don't... it won't do any good. Pack up... let's leave." The group of people stood, dumbstruck... then obeyed.

As they turned their backs on Sonic, he growled, "And don't you dare come back. I'll be more than ready if you do."

"As you wish..."

The leader whipped around and jabbed at Sonic with an electrical stun gun.

Unable to dodge quickly enough at such a short distance, Sonic was grazed across his right arm. The shock ran through his body.

"Aah!!... unnh..." Sonic fell to the sand.

"Hehe... you won't stop us. No one will stop us." At the leader's command, two of the humans stooped to pick up Sonic, who was too stunned to move.

But someone did.

"_CHAOS SPEAR!!"_

A bolt of lightning flew across the beach, striking each one of the humans.

"_AAH!!"_ The two men who were about to take Sonic fell to the ground.

By the time the people were able to look up, another hedgehog had joined the fray.

"What... what is that...?!"

The leader whispered, angrily.

"Don't be fooled by that stupid disguise. That's Project: Shadow."

One of the people gasped. "Sir...?! Should we... should we try to--"

"No. We don't stand a chance." The leader stood up. "Retreat and regroup."

The humans stepped backward and entered their helicopters.

Shadow looked at the leader of the group. "Do I know you...?"

Beneath the helmet, Shadow thought he could see eyes flash in anger. "No... but you will. You will...

"...and you'll feel my pain... you will perish."

The leader turned and entered his own helicopter, leaving the two hedgehogs dumbstruck on the beach.

Inside the helicopter, the leader sighed and motioned for the pilot to take off.

"Project: Shadow will die... it must," he growled.

"Sir... I have faith in you," muttered the pilot.

"And our company's mission will finally be accomplished..."

~*~

Back on the Emerald Coast, Shadow shook Sonic lightly.

"Sonic... wake up... it's all right now..."

Sonic winced slightly, then sat up. "What... who were they... what did they want...?"

Shadow looked grim. "It's no use, Sonic... I might as well go home and wash off this... 'hair-dye'..."

Sonic looked at his friend. "Why?"

Shadow growled, "Because... they're after me... and not just me anymore, I think..." He looked at Sonic.

"...what...? Me...?"

Shadow nodded.

Sonic stood up shakily. "Well, then, who are they?"

Shadow motioned to the beach, where the destroyed robots lay. "Take a look... then you tell me."

Sonic looked. And needed no explanation.

Amid the bits of metal and rubble, small shards of electrically charged material shone brightly, in several different colors.

"...Chaos Drives..." Sonic breathed. Shadow nodded glumly.

"Then... that was..." Sonic stared at the sky. The helicopters were long gone.

"...G.U.N."

The two hedgehogs sat in silence.

Sonic sighed.

"Looks like... I'm in trouble."

Sonic was surprised by Shadow's smile. He said, "And what would be so good about that, eh?"

But Shadow's answer was comforting. "You're not alone."


	14. Not Everyone Is Against You

Disclaimer: I don't own Sonic, Shadow, or the rest of the cute little furry fellas. (Or Eggman.)

A/N: Ah-ha. You all probably thought that the last chapter was the end of the whole 'hair-dye' thing. Not quite...

Hmm. Everything's seeming to come together now... Plus, best of all, I'm over the Writer's Block! *smashes Writer's Block with a giant mallet*

This chapter begins to introduce two of my original characters, one of which is a hedgehog. I'll say it right now, there are no OC/Sonic character romances in my fics. ^_^;; Ignoring the fact that I never write romance anyway. Just to let you know.

Enjoy.

* * *

"Come on, just a little farther..." Shadow urged Sonic on.

The two hedgehogs plodded down a back alley. "We shouldn't have come this way..." Sonic muttered.

"I'm not taking chances," Shadow answered quietly. Angrily.

"Shadow... they left. They _know_ that they don't stand a chance--"

"They'll be back. I know. But it's not just G.U.N.... it's the general public, too." Shadow gritted his teeth. "G.U.N. will alert them. Humans are gullible. They'll believe the military."

"But... but it's all just a lie," Sonic said.

"I know. It's a lie... it's all a lie..." Shadow stared at the ground, his anger seeming to bore into the cement...

The two hedgehogs were snapped out of their thoughts by a voice.

"Mr. Sonic?"

Sonic and Shadow turned around to see a little girl staring at the two of them. Shadow turned his head and was about to leave, but Sonic grabbed his arm.

"Hey, it's all right. I think I know this kid..."

The girl smiled. "Remember me? You talked to me, about a year or so ago...?"

Sonic thought for a moment, then snapped his fingers. "Oh, yeah! You're the little girl who stood outside of the train station every day, waiting for your old man to get back! Right?"

The girl's smile grew even bigger and she nodded. "Yep! That's me!"

Sonic grinned. "Wow, you've gotten tall, huh?"

The girl looked at Shadow. "Is he your brother?"

Sonic laughed nervously. "Um... ah, ha ha... yeah, um, something... like that..."

The girl's smile faded. "Are you okay? My dad can drive you back to wherever you're headed, if you want..."

Shadow shook his head before Sonic could answer. "Oh, no thank you... we're fine."

The girl looked at Sonic, who shrugged. "Okay, if you're sure..." She turned to Shadow again. "It's nice to meet you! What's your name?"

Shadow glanced at Sonic. Sonic smiled. "It's all right. She's a nice girl."

Shadow smiled at the little girl. "My name is Shadow." He reached out to shake hands.

The girl eagerly shook hands. She looked back, towards the street. "Oh, my dad is calling me... I have to go now." She smiled. "It was nice to meet you!" She skipped away.

As they watched her leave, Sonic nudged Shadow and said, "See? Not everyone's against you."

The two were quiet until they reached Amy's apartment.

"_Oh my goodness! _What _happened_ to you?!" Amy shrieked upon opening her apartment door.

"It's all right, Amy... we're fine." Sonic managed an apologetic grin. "We, ah... got in a little scrap, that's all..."

Amy bit her lip, then said, "Come on, come inside... let's get you washed up..."

~*~

"So... G.U.N.'s still after you, huh?" Tails said incredulously, sitting on the living room sofa.

"Yes..." Shadow clenched his fists angrily. "And now I've dragged you into this," he said apologetically to Sonic.

Sonic brushed it off. "Eh, it's okay. Everything will work out in the end. It usually does."

Shadow stood up angrily. "How can you just wave it off like that?! Don't you realize exactly _what_ G.U.N. will do to get their way?!"

"Calm down... it's nothing we can't handle. Right?" Sonic flashed an irrepressible grin. "I mean, we _did_ save the--"

"G.U.N. is different, Sonic. They're different from anything you've ever known." Shadow slumped back onto the sofa, limply. "They'll stop at nothing once they're decided about something."

"Well, so will Sonic," Tails said hopefully.

"No, _not_ like Sonic." Shadow stared out the window. "You've got ideas, plain bravery, and optimism. G.U.N.'s got ideas, too, but most of all they've got technology. Maybe they're even more advanced than you, Tails."

Sonic sat up, slightly worried. "Listen, whatever happens, we're in this together..."

Shadow shook his head. "I wish I hadn't gotten you into this..." He clenched his fists again. "But more than that, I wish G.U.N. would just..." His shoulders tensed.

"Shadow? Are you okay?" Amy asked, worriedly.

"...I wish they'd just _leave me alone!!"_ Shadow suddenly burst out. _"They took everything away from me! My home, Maria, nearly my life! Why do they keep coming after me?!"_

"Shadow..." Sonic murmured.

Shadow sighed. "I can't let that happen to you guys. I've got to leave you."

Tails shook his head. "Even if you did, I think it's a little late for that. They knew that you and Sonic were somewhere in the vicinity, and they'll probably keep trying to track you both down separately. It's probably best if we stick together."

Shadow looked at Tails helplessly, then looked down, knowing that the young fox's logic was correct. "I'm sorry..."

Sonic smiled. "It's all right. Anyway, there's safety in numbers. That's something you've gotta learn."

Shadow nodded. "Yes... it's just..." He looked away.

"_I just don't want any of you to get... hurt..."_

~*~

Meanwhile, the little girl and her father arrived at the Station Square train station.

"Dad! Are we going to go see the professor?" she asked excitedly.

The father smiled. "Yep, that's where we're going, honey. Your mother wants him to come to our house for the holidays, so we're going to give him an invitation."

The girl grinned. "I bet he'd like that! Do you think Talula would like it, too?"

The man smiled at his daughter. "Maybe. What do you think she likes to eat? Your mother's never cooked for a hedgehog before..."

"Sonic the Hedgehog likes chili dogs."

"Well, Sonic's from around here... Talula grew up in the jungle, remember? Maybe they eat something different in the jungle."

"Like bananas and pineapples and stuff like that?"

"Maybe."

"_The train headed to the Mystic Ruins will be departing soon..."_

"Oh, there's our train. Come on!"

"Right behind you, Dad!"

Within a few minutes, riding on the train, the little girl and her father reached the Mystic Ruins.

"Let's go, Dad!" The little girl hopped up and down excitedly.

"Well, let's rent a helicopter first," her father said.

In about half an hour, the girl and her father were headed into the deep jungle of the Mystic Ruins, where an old man and his young hedgehog friend lived in an old laboratory.

Little did they know, that 'old connections' would one day shatter their peaceful life of solitude...


	15. Away from the Action

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone in this fic except for Prof. Kagaku and Talula.

A/N: ^_^ Just so you know, all of my original characters have, well, kind of like puns for names (except Talula). So, if anyone wants to know what the names mean, feel free to ask. A lot of my original character names are plays on Japanese words or, better yet, Japanese words themselves. Ha ha... Well, hope you enjoy the next chapter!... and that's really all I have to say.

* * *

"Professor! Talula! Guess what!" The young girl from Station Square called as she dashed towards the small, wooden house.

A young, pinkish-brown female hedgehog clothed in a simple brown dress stepped into the doorway. She smiled. "Sh! Professor Kagaku is busy researching!"

The girl slowed to a halt outside the door. "Hi Talula! Guess what!"

The girl's father panted as he hurried to keep up with his daughter. "Phew... I need to start getting into shape..." he breathed. "Hello, Talula. Is the professor in?"

Talula bowed politely. "Yes, sir. But the professor is researching right now. He's researching jungle herbs... he's very busy..."

"Not too busy to greet friends," an old man said suddenly, appearing from the back of the house. He had a head full of white hair, and wore thick glasses, behind which blue eyes sparkled.

Wiping his hands on his white coat, he said, "So! Mr. Tanken, how nice to see you again! Been a while, eh?"

Mr. Tanken, the girl's father, laughed. "Not soon enough for Nina, here," he said, clapping a hand on his daughter's shoulder. "Anyway--"

"Oh, what am I doing? I should invite you all in," Prof. Kagaku said, slapping his forehead. "Come in, come in..."

Talula bowed again, then laughed. "I'll fix you all some tea! Come, Nina," she motioned for the girl to follow her.

"Talula! While you're at it, could you please try to use that herb in the kitchen--"

"Sir, I don't mean to be rude, but the last time I used one of your herbs for tea you were unable to taste anything for a week..."

Prof. Kagaku smiled sheepishly. "Well, that was something else... this herb is a little different." He grinned. "Contains a lot of vitamins, this one does."

Talula sighed. "Yes, sir, if you say so..."

Mr. Tanken sat down on one of Prof. Kagaku's woven bamboo chairs. "So, anything new happen recently, Kagaku?"

"Not especially... although I have been picking up something strange on some of my equipment."

"Really?" Besides being an explorer, Mr. Tanken was also quite interested in other fields of science.

"Yes... it's like some sort of strange energy waves. It's very strange, but somehow familiar." Prof. Kagaku rubbed his chin. "I can't quite place it, though... my memory's going on me."

"Tea's ready!" Nina called, walking into the main room while carrying a small tray with teacups on it. Talula followed, carrying the teapot.

"I have a good feeling about this one!" Prof. Kagaku exclaimed. He took the teapot from Talula and poured himself a cup. Talula poured tea for the others and herself.

Prof. Kagaku took a long look at the tea, then took a sip.

"Well? How is it?" Mr. Tanken asked.

Prof. Kagaku sighed. Then he smiled enthusiastically. "Terrific! Try it."

The others smiled, relieved, then took their own teacups.

Nina suddenly remembered something. "Professor, guess what!"

"I don't know. What is it?" the old man asked, slowly sipping his tea.

"Sonic the Hedgehog has a _brother!"_

Prof. Kagaku raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Mm-hm! I shook his hand! His name is Shadow!"

Prof. Kagaku's eyes widened, and he choked on the tea he was drinking.

"Sir?!" Talula exclaimed, standing up quickly. Prof. Kagaku shook his head, cleared his throat and took another sip of tea to calm himself down.

"Sorry about that." He turned to Nina. "You say his name was Shadow?"

"Uh-huh!"

"By any chance... did this hedgehog have black fur, with red stripes, red eyes, and quills that turned up at the ends...?"

Nina shook her head. "Nope. He had green eyes and blue fur, but it was darker than Sonic's. But you're right about the quills." She took another sip of tea. "This is pretty good..."

Prof. Kagaku laughed. "It had better be good... I've been researching that herb for about six months now! Made some tea out of it myself before, but I'd never had anyone else taste it."

Talula sighed. "Professor, _please_ stay out of the kitchen. The last time you tried to cook anything--"

"I know,I know..."

Nina laughed. Prof. Kagaku smiled at her.

"Why don't you go take a look at the garden?"

"Okay!" Nina hopped off her seat and followed Talula out back.

Mr. Tanken turned to Prof. Kagaku. "Just wondering, but why did you ask about this hedgehog?"

"Well... a long time ago, I worked on the space colony--"

"You don't mean the one that nearly crashed, a few months ago?!"

"Yes, that one. I was only a young man then," Prof. Kagaku mused. "But I used to know a young hedgehog named Shadow. Lived there, with the head scientist and his granddaughter." Kagaku smiled. "Yes, I had a lot of good memories on that space colony. I used to love to watch the granddaughter and the hedgehog play. Now, what was her name? Margaret...? No... Marcia... Mary... oh, it's been so long, my memory's quite fuzzy..." The old man suddenly fell into deep thought.

"...Kagaku?" Mr. Tanken asked.

"...I wonder..." Prof. Kagaku suddenly put down his teacup, stood up and dashed to his apparatus.

~*~

The past few weeks had been quite trying for a certain bat.

Sitting at the edge of Angel Island, she opened her hand...

...revealing that she held a Chaos Drive. It shone green in the afternoon sun.

But Rouge clenched her fist tight again. It was only one victory against many losses...

After Shadow had been discharged from the hospital, she'd lost track of him. For weeks.

Too long.

Merely looking for them was highly inefficient, since Sonic's speed and even Tails' Tornado could cover many miles in a single hour. There wasn't any way to track them down, either... no one could be sure where they'd gotten to.

Knuckles had few answers.

"_One, they could be at South Island."_

"_Where's South Island?"_

"_...that way." Knuckles had pointed south. "It's hard to tell... Angel Island keeps moving..."_

"_Then how do _you_ know where it is?"_

"_Keep heading that way... it's there, somewhere. Just keep looking."_

Precisely why it was not a good idea to ask Knuckles for directions. All right, then if South Island was 'one,' what was 'two'?

"_Station Square. Amy lives there. Look for her. Who knows, maybe they took Shadow there to recuperate."_

So she'd headed to Station Square.

Three weeks after Shadow had reappeared.

Exactly one day after G.U.N.'s attack.

The news was everywhere. People were flocking to the newspaper stands, clamoring to read about what had happened.

The truth hadn't been uncovered yet... the only thing that anyone knew for sure was that a large number of destroyed robots had been found, scattered on Emerald Coast, only a few miles from the public swimming area.

Rumors were flying, people were gossiping... Rouge's sensitive ears had picked up most of the information she needed.

So she headed down to Emerald Coast.

It was true. The entire area was roped off by the police.

So she waited for night's dark cover.

And was able to see the wreckage.

Chaos Drives.

Only one company used those.

G.U.N.

And here she was, Rouge the Bat, the once infamous spy, sitting on an island, floating above the ocean...

...and completely frustrated.

An attack by G.U.N. could mean only one thing.

They were after Project: Shadow.

She knew. After all, she had spied on them... and for them... for quite a while.

The only reason that G.U.N. existed was for the destruction of Project: Shadow.

Rouge swallowed. She knew that she knew too much.

G.U.N. had highly confidential information. It was dangerous to announce that she had resigned her job as a spy. It was safer to let them think that she was still on their side.

But knowing too much, in this case...

...might save a life.

Shadow's life.

Rouge looked to the darkening sky.

"If G.U.N. is really still after him... he's in deep trouble."

Rouge closed her eyes.

"Something... _something_ is going to tie this all together..."

Chaos Emeralds...

Immortality...

Project: Shadow...

Chaos Energy...

G.U.N....

Shadow himself...

~*~

Knuckles walked up to Rouge, who was deep in thought.

"Hey... almost time for some dinner. Want something?"

"Hmm?" Rouge looked up. "No... no thanks..."

Knuckles raised an eyebrow. "Still pondering your Project: Shadow?"

Rouge looked away. "I can't explain it... but something's wrong."

Knuckles sat down next to the white bat. "...I know."

Rouge looked at him, surprised. "What do you mean, 'you know'?"

Knuckles shook his head. "I can't explain, either. But something's happening. The Master Emerald can feel it. And so can I."

Rouge continued to stare at Knuckles. "You can feel...?"

Knuckles looked at the setting sun. "I'm a part of the Master Emerald. I've been guarding it my whole life. My entire race has been guarding it, for as long as anyone remembers.

"The Master Emerald's energy flows in tune with that of the Chaos Emeralds'. So does mine, my _ki._ Everything's finely in balance. And anything that contains Chaos Energy, pure Chaos Energy, also balances with us."

Rouge opened her hand and looked at the Chaos Drive. "Wait..."

_A sudden memory..._

_...a bomb, about to go off..._

_...but..._

"_Chaos Control!"_

_...a blinding flash of light... a strange feeling, through her whole body..._

_...and she was safe._

"Shadow...?"

"Yes... Shadow is also in tune with the Chaos Energy." Knuckles nodded. "And so is Sonic. That is what allows them to utilize the Chaos Control."

"Chaos Control," Rouge breathed. "It's... coming together..."

"What?"

"G.U.N. disliked Project: Shadow and its participants because they feared a being more powerful than Mankind. I understand now." Rouge stood up and faced the west, where the sun was nearly gone. "Everything has a natural weakness, no matter what. But for a being to be in tune with Chaos Energy... no, to _utilize_ Chaos Energy, that gives them an unfathomable power."

It was nearly dark. Rouge continued, "Chaos Energy lasts for eternity, in one form. Pure power. And because Shadow utilizes Chaos Energy... and he _was_ the end result of Project: Shadow... what's to say that his entire body doesn't run on Chaos Energy? I mean... there's nothing that disproves that..."

Rouge's voice was shaking. A fog started to roll in, making the mood even more despairing.

"...Shadow's not a being composed of pure Chaos Energy?... I mean... is that possible...?!"

Knuckles sighed. "I... I can't answer that. I don't know..."

The fog continued to thicken.

A sudden flash of reddish-pink light distracted Knuckles. Rouge watched in half-hopelessness, half-amusement as Knuckles' face broke into a rare smile.

The red echidna stood up. "But maybe I know someone who does..."

Rouge noticed the small orb of light, floating all by itself. She stood up in surprise and nearly fell over backwards.

Knuckles laughed. "Don't worry... this is an old friend of mine." He turned to the light. "An old ancestor of mine."

"W-what...?"

The two watched as the light made its way to the Master Emerald.

There was a flash of light...

...and in the floating orb's place stood a young echidna girl.

Knuckles smiled. "Long time no see, Tikal."

Tikal smiled back. "I've been listening to you... and I think I can help you.

"After all, I was once the Guardian of the Master Emerald, too."


	16. Revelations

Disclaimer: Anyone even _vaguely_ resembling _anything_ who is copyrighted by Sega does not belong to me. *scoff* You should know that by now.

A/N: *smile* Well, I hope Talula and Prof. Kagaku made good first impressions. (They're actually part of another story that I'm making up... well, that's for later.) Plus, Tikal's back, I hope you like that! (I'm a Tikal fan! She doesn't get enough attention...) This chapter explains some pretty important details that are going to pop up again later...

One last note... I've got the ending to this story figured out, but getting there may take a while. Everything's beginning to pull together. :)

* * *

Tikal smiled. "Hello, Knuckles. I trust that all is well...?"

Knuckles shook his head. "Not quite."

Rouge looked at the young girl standing in front of her. An orange Echidna, dressed as if she'd just stepped out of a history textbook.

Knuckles explained. "You see... we'd like to know something about the Chaos Emeralds."

Rouge stepped in. "I would like to know... if the Chaos Emeralds are somehow linked with immortality."

Tikal looked at Rouge sternly. "If you are questing for immortality, I won't help you. A being isn't meant to live forever."

'_Shadow...'_ Rouge suddenly thought. She shook her head. "No, it's just... well, it's a long story. I don't want immortality or anything like that. I need to know this... to help a friend..."

Tikal studied Rouge's face a little longer, then relaxed. "You have kind intentions. Now, let me think..."

The white fog surrounding Angel Island intensified. Tikal turned, then started for the Master Emerald, looking deep into it.

Finally, she was ready to begin.

"The story begins in ancient times, before any of us were born...

"The Chaos Emeralds are forged of a strong magic, some kind of power that flows through the universe. The Emeralds balance their power with the natural elements of the Earth.

"This kind of energy flows through the emptiness in space. Some people call it 'dark energy,' some are convinced that it is _ki,_ the life energy needed by all beings. This same energy is contained, in a high concentration, in the Chaos Emeralds. As a matter of fact, I believe that the Emeralds gather the power themselves, taking it from the earth, the sky, the elements..."

Tikal paused. "This kind of energy lasts forever... it is well known that energy can never be created nor destroyed. But somehow, the Emeralds are able to contain this power and not let it go...

"That is, until a person with a special ability to harness Chaos Energy can release it..."

Rouge blurted out, "Shadow. Shadow and Sonic."

Tikal looked at Rouge. "I don't know this 'Shadow' of whom you speak... but yes, I do know Sonic. And, yes, he does have the gift of wielding Chaos Energy."

Tikal thought for a moment. "About immortality... yes. The Chaos Energy stored in the Chaos Emeralds symbolizes eternity in itself. If a creature were able to store that energy in their body, to become a living Chaos Emerald, that energy would continue to cycle throughout their being, keeping them alive for an infinite amount of time. But it's highly unlikely," she added. "For example, Super Sonic is extremely powerful, with the Chaos Energy running through his veins. But that form lasts only as long as his own _ki._ He's also very unstable... I doubt that any creature would be able to live under the conditions required to harness Chaos Energy."

But Tikal had already lost both Knuckles and Rouge. The red Echidna and the white bat stared at each other, at a loss for words.

Except for one.

"Shadow."

Tikal blinked, slightly irked that someone had asked for advice, yet not bothered to listen.

Knuckles apologized. "I'm sorry, Tikal... you see, our friend, Shadow..."

Rouge finished the thought. "We think that he might... he might be immortal... living on Chaos Energy..."

Tikal listened. "...maybe. Chaos Energy really is nothing more than _ki..._ albeit, unbelievably powerful." She added, "Although, anyone who has ever come into contact with the Emeralds likely carries a bit of their energy in his or her being..."

Knuckles nodded. "And all beings containing Chaos Energy balance with each other, right?"

Tikal smiled. "Yes. When the energy becomes out of balance... it's very dangerous. So, the Chaos Emeralds naturally balance the power evenly between all who share it.

"If your friend truly does live on Chaos Energy, he must be an extraordinary creature."

Rouge nodded. "Yeah... extraordinary. Listen... if a creature had pure Chaos Energy in their body... could their physical being be destroyed?"

Tikal thought. "I don't know... the only creature I know of who ever truly lived on Chaos Energy was Chaos, but he was made of pure water... it's hard to say what would happen to a solid being. Why do you ask?"

Rouge sighed. "Because Shadow fell through the atmosphere. And lived," she added.

Tikal's eyebrows raised. "That's... incredible. The atmosphere? Of the Earth?"

Knuckles nodded. "Yeah. Sonic's done it before too, though..."

Tikal slowly asked, "This Shadow... when was he born?"

Rouge shrugged. "A little over half a century ago. But he was frozen for most of that."

Tikal thought. "I remember that... there was a strange shift in the balance of power..." She looked up. "I'm sorry that I cannot answer more. My knowledge is limited to what goes on in the world beyond."

"That's all right," Rouge said. "You tried your best."

"And a little while ago, a great amount of Chaos Energy dispersed into space..." Tikal suddenly mused.

"What?" Rouge asked.

It struck Knuckles, too. "The Biolizard. When the Biolizard was destroyed, most of its energy was released, destroying the dead body and escaping into space."

Tikal agreed. "I don't know what it was, but it contained Chaos Energy. But the creature's own _ki_ was too weak to control the Chaos. So some sort of restraint was placed on it, to enable it to live. When the restraint was destroyed, the creature went mad. Then... there was another huge shift in power, and the first being was destroyed. All this I know, because of the bond between people who know of the Chaos Emeralds." She shook her head. "Death is a terrible thing. If you are not careful, Chaos can cause death. But, on the other hand, Chaos can bring life, too."

Rouge sighed. "We're playing with fire, and we're going to get burned. But somehow, I've just got to know the answer to this..."

Knuckles faced Rouge sternly. "But what is it that you're looking for?"

Rouge sank to the ground. "I thought I knew. I thought I was just going to find out if my findings on Project: Shadow were true, if Shadow really was immortal and all that. But somehow, it's led to all this... and now G.U.N. is coming after him, too. It's all so confusing now."

Tikal looked at Rouge. "There is much ahead of you. Yes, I agree, you're playing with fire...

"But, like Chaos, fire can also bring about good things, too." Tikal turned to face Knuckles. "Do you remember the poem?"

"Yeah. 'The servers are the seven Chaos. Chaos is power, enriched by the heart. The controller is the one who unifies the Chaos.' But I don't see what that has to do with--"

"Think about it. And maybe things will become clear." Tikal nodded slowly. The fog began to dissolve, and the pink dawn appeared as Tikal faded.

"We've been talking all night?" Rouge murmured, looking at the sky. She looked at Knuckles. "Is something the matter?"

"No... I'm just thinking."

Knuckles closed his eyes.

'_The seven Chaos are the Emeralds. Chaos is power, enriched by the heart. Does it mean that Chaos becomes more powerful with emotion? If Chaos Energy is _ki,_ does that mean that emotions increase our power? The controller is the Master Emerald. Does the Master Emerald also unite people who contain Chaos Energy? Are we all somehow linked to it?'_

~*~

Meanwhile...

If one were to be walking in a dense forest, far from civilization of any kind, the last thing that one would expect to see would be a modern building.

Yet this is what you would see, if you would happen to stumble onto the new headquarters of the military company, G.U.N.

Ever since Prison Island had been discovered to be G.U.N.'s headquarters, the company had moved quickly. There were too many stories behind them that would be better left forgotten...

...for example, the true story behind ARK's shutdown.

If word ever got out to the public... it would not be pretty.

So, moving from one bleak setting to another, G.U.N. was still busy plotting.

How to rid the world of two hedgehog threats?

If only Rouge had still been working with them... the agent had seemed to have disappeared.

All of the people now working with G.U.N. were descendants of the original humans who had taken over ARK. Many of them didn't know anything about Project: Shadow, except for the fact that it had escaped.

The leader of G.U.N. sat in his office, deep in thought.

He was an old man. He remembered G.U.N.'s true mission.

And he also remembered one person who could help them.

An old scientist, who could recall days on ARK, working on Project: Shadow with that cursed Gerald Robotnik.

The old man clenched a fist.

Gerald Robotnik. Project: Shadow was supposed to have been a weapon for G.U.N. At least, that was what G.U.N. had planned...

But instead, Robotnik had ended up with two creations, one a mad monster, the other a soft-hearted plush toy gifted with powers of destruction.

It had begun when Gerald Robotnik wanted to create something to cure his daughter, to end suffering on Earth.

G.U.N. was more interested in a powerful weapon, to secure strength.

Of course, they didn't let the old man know that.

They funded his research, knowing that if he discovered the key to immortality, then Man's place as the ultimate life was assured.

But when the professor had created the actual prototypes, G.U.N. realized that he could easily destroy them. So ARK had been attacked, the project shut down...

...the professor's granddaughter, killed....

...which ended up being a costly mistake.

The quiet prototype, a hedgehog, was experimented on furiously by the professor.

Robotnik had even begun to program ARK from down on Earth.

'_And to think they let him...'_ the old man thought angrily.

It had all led to their demise, at the hands of Robotnik's grandson and that blasted Project: Shadow... along with that blue hedgehog, Sonic, and his friends.

The old man sighed. To stop Project: Shadow... there were only a few who remembered how it was created.

One person, who had used to work for G.U.N.... but had quit...

Professor Tamine Kagaku.

One of the original scientists on Professor Robotnik's team.

At that moment, a worker for G.U.N. ran in the door.

"Sir... we've found his whereabouts. He's in the jungles, near the Mystic Ruins..."

"G.U.N. will track you down, Kagaku..." the old man muttered.

"Whether you like it or not."

~*~

In the Mystic Ruin jungles, Kagaku, at the moment, was busy analyzing the strange energy signals he was picking up on his apparatus.

"How strange..." he murmured.

Little did Kagaku know exactly how much the late Professor Robotnik had influenced his ways.

All of Kagaku's apparatus, specially designed and built by himself, were based somewhat upon Gerald Robotnik's.

Each piece of equipment was sensitive to Chaos Energy.

And a creature with an extremely large amount of refined Chaos Energy

...was quite close.

~*~

Each person's tale was growing longer.

But each tale would soon weave itself into a tangled web, along with the others.


	17. Tough Decisions

Disclaimer: I don't own Sonic. Listen, I'm really going to quit putting these here, everyone knows I don't own Sonic. ^^;;

A/N: Hooray! I've surpassed 50 reviews! :D That makes me happy.

In other news... I was out of town for the past week, but I did manage to get this chapter written (and part of the next one).

Lastly, if anyone notices anything in this story that contradicts something in an earlier chapter, would you please tell me? Since beginning this story, I have seen some Japanese episodes of Sonic X that have given me ideas for a new story when this one is done, but they contradict things that I've already written. If there's something that doesn't make sense, please inform me.

To Yersi Fanel: *smiles* That's a good point that you picked up on. In a way, the Chaos Energy is like a blessing and a curse. Like Tikal said, immortality really just isn't supposed to _happen._ Everybody just sit back and watch... Oh, and I'm happy that you enjoy this story. Thanks to everyone who's come all this way reading it! :)

* * *

Deep in the jungle...

...too far away for anyone to know...

...G.U.N. was taking its master plan to action...

~*~

Back in Station Square...

"Hey, guys. I saw Rouge," Sonic said casually after going for a mid-morning run, walking into the kitchen where the others were having lunch.

"What? When?" Amy asked, surprised.

"About 10:00 p.m., yesterday."

"What were _you_ doing outside, anyway?" Tails looked at Sonic questioningly.

Sonic grinned and folded his hands behind his head. "Hehe... just out running."

Shadow looked up from where he was sitting on the couch. "You shouldn't be out running around. G.U.N.'s going to come back... I know they will."

Sonic laughed nonchalantly. "Don't be such a worrywart. We beat them once, they've probably given up."

Shadow glared. "You don't know what you're talking about. You don't know them. None of you know them. G.U.N. is a monster. And they'll stop at nothing to..." Shadow fell silent.

Amy glanced at Shadow. "To what? Are you okay?..."

Shadow stood up. "Listen... they knew it was me, even though you gave me this disguise. And... you don't know the whole story. It's probably best if I leave... I'm not going to pull anyone down with me..."

'_...again...'_

Sonic raised an eyebrow. "Hey, man, you're making a mistake, going off on your own. I seriously don't think they will, but if G.U.N. _does_ go after you, they're after me, too... so, it's probably best to stick together. You know, 'strength in numbers'?"

Shadow was stubborn. Still standing, he shouted, "Quiet! You don't know what you're talking about! I know G.U.N.! _And I won't have another person's blood on my hands--!!"_

After that furious moment, Shadow collapsed backwards onto the couch. Half lost in his own subconscious, he whispered, "I'm not going to let anyone get hurt again..." He folded his arms around himself. "Never..."

The room was silent. Sonic swallowed. "This is about... you know... isn't it?"

"She had a name... Maria," Shadow said, staring into space. "She lost her life... because of me... if G.U.N. hadn't been after me, then..." Shadow closed his eyes.

Trying to change the subject, Amy piped up, "So... what do you think Rouge was doing here, anyway?"

Sonic shrugged. "I dunno. I saw her going towards Emerald Coast, though. Maybe she thought there were actual emeralds or something there," he joked.

"Rouge... I don't like her..." Shadow said quietly.

"_Maybe even your memories aren't real--!"_

Shadow closed his eyes tightly. The room was quiet again.

Amy finally couldn't take it anymore. "Shadow, that's enough!" she cried. "Just lighten up! If there _are_ problems ahead, well, we'll just cross that bridge when we come to it!!"

Shadow sat there, shocked back to reality and slightly stunned by Amy's loud voice. Even Sonic and Tails were slightly rattled.

Amy, a bit calmer now, laughed rather nervously. "Um, ahaha, well, I suppose you've... got the point..." She cleared her throat. "Well, ahem... I... I just think all this talk is depressing... it's not good for a person..."

Shadow sighed and stood up. He walked down the hallway towards his room. "It might be depressing for you... but it's the truth."

After Shadow had left, Tails spoke up. "He's right, you know... I have a feeling there's a lot we don't know about this that he does."

"Like he's going to tell us," Sonic scoffed.

"Right..." Tails sighed. After a few moments, he suddenly perked up. "But I think I know someone who could help!"

"Who?" Amy asked.

"Rouge! Everything she knows about G.U.N. is valuable information."

"Well, we have to _find_ her first," Sonic pointed out.

"Yeah..." Tails sighed. He got up to walk to his room, for a quiet place to think.

On the way, he passed by Shadow's closed door. Inside, Tails could hear Shadow speaking...

"_Maria... I can't do it... it's too hard... everyone wants something different... what do I do now...?"_

Tails caught himself eavesdropping and quickly walked away, knowing that it was rude to listen in on other people.

~*~

Shadow's mind was in turmoil as he sat on his bed, thinking.

'_I don't know what to do anymore...'_ he inwardly sighed to himself.

'_She wanted everyone to be happy... how do I do it?'_

Shadow remembered... Tails had said that there were unhappy people on the Earth...

...even though it was so perfect...

What could people be unhappy about?

'_Sonic seems happy... so do Tails and Amy. Who is unhappy on this planet?'_

G.U.N.?

Shadow's eyes widened.

'_Those people from G.U.N...._

'_They... they wanted me destroyed..._

'_But... but that's..._

'_...not right...'_

Shadow buried his face in his hands. His head burned. He felt like something was tearing him in two.

"Maria... what now...? Could it be that what makes some people happy... isn't right...? Is G.U.N. wrong for what they want?

"_...what am I supposed to do...?_

"_I always thought that you knew everything about Earth... all your books, all of your questions... I thought you knew everything. I trusted what you taught me._

"_Could it be... that there was more that we didn't know?_

"_We thought we knew everything..."_

Shadow had yet to learn that, sometimes...

...it was impossible for everyone to be happy.

That, sometimes, people had to compromise... to give up a little to gain a little.

Growing up in isolation from the rest of the world, one never learned about compromises... about how you don't always get your way.

Without that knowledge, Shadow was trying to undertake an impossible task.

To do what G.U.N. wanted... or to do what was right.

But knowing what was wrong or right was hard too, if you'd never experienced life on Earth.

The saying that "ignorance is bliss" was completely untrue in this situation.

Shadow's beloved time on ARK was becoming his downfall.

~*~

"I don't understand."

Knuckles stood, arms folded, watching as Rouge prepared to leave Angel Island.

Rouge sighed. "Listen... this has gotten way out of hand. I just have to know what G.U.N. is up to. I just have a really bad feeling about this..."

"Stop looking for trouble, and it won't come to you. Remember, curiosity killed the cat... or the bat, in your case," Knuckles reprimanded.

Rouge smiled and shook her head. "Oh, Knuckles. Knuckles, Knuckles, Knuckles. How I _envy _you. So _in tune_ with the rest of the world, with such a _grand_ sense of adventure..." she said sarcastically.

Knuckles scoffed. "I have a mission and a destiny already set for me. Adventure is for hotheads like Sonic..."

Rouge looked at Knuckles, raising one eyebrow. "Don't tell me that you _honestly_ believe that you're going to spend your entire life up here protecting this Emerald?"

Knuckles shrugged. Rouge exclaimed, "We're still young! Have a little fun with your life, for crying out loud!"

Rouge left in a huff, spreading her wings as she flew off the island.

Knuckles called after her hotly,

"_Breaking into G.U.N.'s database isn't my idea of _fun!!"

~*~

Rouge reached her destination at about 6:30 p.m. that day.

At about the same time, Shadow had finally lost it.

After spending the entire day in his room, with hard decisions, the stress had finally gotten to him.

He quickly slipped into the bathroom, while the others were having dinner.

He emerged with his 'disguise' completely removed.

Back to his old black and red fur.

Blood-red eyes.

He quietly walked into his room, his borrowed shoes silent on the carpet.

No one noticed.

Amy, sitting with Sonic and Tails at the kitchen table, spoke up. "Sonic, why don't you bring Shadow some dinner? He's been quiet ever since he locked himself up in his room..."

"Okay, fine..." Sonic muttered, picking up Shadow's plate and carrying it down the hallway.

"Hey, Shadow! Eat something! It's not going to do you much good if you starve to death!" Sonic yelled as kicked the door, his hands full. To his surprise, it opened.

The window was open.

The black hedgehog wasn't anywhere in the apartment.

"Shadow! You idiot! I said not to leave!!

"_What if G.U.N. really does come back?!"_

* * *

A/N: *grin* I didn't think I'd get this done so fast!

Anyway, the better half of the next chapter is already written on paper, so I'll be typing that up now. Expect it pretty soon!


	18. Running

Author Notes: ...so. How is everyone? I hope you're all doing well. As a matter of fact, I'm going to brighten up your day by posting a new chapter. :)

Poor Shadow. So confused. Well, aren't we all at some point in our lives? I suppose, since he lived for so long in solitude on ARK, he doesn't know how to handle that kind of feeling, so he overreacted... hm... *ponders*

* * *

G.U.N.'s database was locked away online.

However, not even the greatest security system could keep out the greatest government spy, Rouge the Bat... who had, after all, hacked into it once before anyway.

Only, this time, she wasn't looking for the truth about what happened 50 years past.

She was looking for more... _recent_ plans.

Based upon past experiences, Rouge knew of one place, one computer, that had been able to break into G.U.N.'s files.

That computer... was located at Eggman's old pyramid base. The pyramid housed a supercomputer, designed by the good doctor himself.

Luckily for the spy, the place was deserted, since just about everyone knew about it by now.

Breaking into the abandoned fortress was fairly easy. Since Eggman had left, the building had begun to deteriorate and the majority of the guard robots, mostly outdated Kikis and E-1000s, had been destroyed by Sonic and the others. The few left were easy to take care of.

The computer itself was still an absolute masterpiece.

Smiling to herself as she approached it, Rouge carefully entered G.U.N.'s database...

The majority of the information was plans and blueprints of their robots. But you never knew when you might find a "diamond in the rough"...

Rouge gasped in spite of herself.

"Project... Shadow?

"...'02'?"

The white bat blinked. "But... this is dated fifteen years ago! That can't be right!"

Shaking her head, she hurriedly skipped past it.

But Project: Shadow turned up again?

More plans...

...for a machine...?

"...a machine to...

"..._drain_ Chaos Energy...!?

"Shadow!" Rouge yelped, jumping backwards.

The entry continued...

"_To be created with the help of renowned scientist, Professor Tamine Kagaku, former assistant of Project: Shadow creator, Prof. Gerald Robotnik..."_

"...I have to find Shadow," Rouge breathed.

~*~

He ran.

'_Nothing is right anymore...'_

Ran faster...

'_I don't belong here...'_

His feet skimmed across the hard concrete.

'_I can't be a danger to anyone else...'_

Ignoring the pains in his feet and legs, Shadow kept going.

The sun was already starting to set. Night would come soon.

But it didn't matter.

'_What should I do...'_

Shadow kept running.

Even though, without his hover skates, he could hardly hope to even rival Sonic's speed, he was able to pass by most people without them noticing.

But it didn't matter.

'_Who wants to be around me, anyway...'_

Suddenly, Shadow looked up.

There was a young boy standing in the road.

And a car coming.

Still blinded to the rest of the world, Shadow ran, picked him up, and dropped him on the sidewalk.

The boy's mother ran towards the boy and hugged him tightly.

The child, smiling, turned to say 'thank you'.

But Shadow was already gone.

He just kept running.

He didn't care what was ahead anymore.

He didn't care that he was entering a building's open door.

He didn't care that it was the train station. He didn't notice the man who spotted him, then yelled for a ticket.

He didn't _care_ that he was running along the train tracks, narrowly avoiding the electrified ones.

He just wanted to get away...

~*~

Dashing through the jungle, metal-tipped boots weighing her down...

...trying to find a way back to Knuckles. Or Shadow. Or someone.

Anyone.

Rouge's mad run was suddenly halted by the sound of a wailing girl.

Brushing the thick foliage aside, Rouge almost missed a pinkish-brown hedgehog, sobbing on the ground.

"Help! Someone help! They took the professor! Someone!"

Skidding to a halt, Rouge barely missed trampling the distraught girl. "Now, now, what's wrong?" Instantly she regretted those words, knowing that there was work to be done...

The hedgehog girl wailed, "It's terrible! Those awful people... they were carrying guns! What could we do?!"

"Okay, just calm down..." Rouge said, overwhelmed at the girl's sudden outbursts. "Now, what--"

"Please come!" The hedgehog grabbed Rouge's wrist and pulled her through the thick vegetation.

Only a short while later, they arrived at the skeleton of a house, its walls and roof burned to ashes.

The hedgehog quietly sank to the ground and wept.

Rouge stared. "What is this? Who are you?"

The girl wiped her eyes and bowed politely, if somewhat shakily. "F-forgive me... I... I'm sorry. I d-didn't mean to be... rude.. M-my name is Talula... it's just, you're the first person to come by since this happened..." Talula began to cry again.

"What happened?" Rouge asked, trying to sound comforting, even though she felt quite impatient. "Was this your house? Was there anyone else here?"

"It was yesterday..."

~*~

_Heavy footsteps on the soft jungle floor..._

"_Who are you?!" the irate professor yelled._

"_You should know, old man..." the soldier replied._

_Humans wearing bulletproof armor, carrying state-of-the-art rifles, charging into the small, wooden house..._

_One spoke. "So, you're the famous Tamine Kagaku? We've heard some things about you from our bosses... not very flattering things..."_

_Prof. Kagaku glared. "So... you're G.U.N.'s new recruits, eh? Listen to me... leave! Leave, and don't make the mistakes I did..."_

_The officer glared at Kagaku. "No way! Why should I be pegged a traitor, too?"_

_A different man looked at the science equip in the next room. "Very nice, old man... well built... I can imagine you working for G.U.N."_

"_Don't touch those," Kagaku muttered._

_The officer glared at Talula, who was standing in the corner, frozen. "Hmph... so, this is the laboratory experiment that cost you your position, isn't it?"_

"_Experiment...? Sir, I'm sorry, but you must be mistaken, the professor is a friend of my family--" Talula began._

"_Talula, get out of here," the professor snapped. "Run. Get outside."_

_Not knowing why, but somehow afraid, Talula began to back towards the door._

"_Stop where you are," the first officer commanded. Talula heard a click as one of the long rifles was pointed at her..._

"_Talula, run!" the professor yelled as he threw a bag of herbs at the officer's face._

_Dropping the rifle, the officer grabbed his eyes._

_What followed was utter chaos. Obeying the professor's order, Talula ran with all her strength. Taking a chance, she looked backwards to see Kagaku being restrained by some of the officers. She also noticed some of the others carrying Kagaku's equipment out of the house._

"_Professor!"_

"Keep running! Don't stop!"

_Blinking back tears, Talula ran._

_Behind her, she smelled smoke... and knew what had happened._

_Finally, out of strength, she collapsed on the ground and cried._

~*~

"So, that all happened yesterday?" Rouge asked. Talula nodded.

The bat grinned. "Then I'm in luck."

"What...?"

"That group _must_ have been G.U.N. And since they were only here yesterday, then their tracks are probably still somewhat fresh." Rouge walked off. "Sorry, kid, but I've got to go." She jumped into the air, spreading her wings.

Suddenly, she turned around and hovered in midair. "Hey, tell you what... I'll look for your friend, okay?" she called back to Talula.

Talula clasped her hands together. "Thank you! Very much! My parents and the professor were very good friends... this means a lot to me."

Rouge waved. "Hey, no sweat. Actually, I'm looking for a friend of mine, too. His name's Shadow the Hedgehog. Could you let me know somehow if he comes by here?"

"Okay! I'll try!"

"Great! See ya' around sometime." Rouge took off.

Knowing that there really wasn't any way in which she could help, Talula sighed and walked back to her own house, still a distance away in the jungle.

~*~

It was almost 9:00 p.m.

Shadow was finally running out of strength. Unable to continue, he staggered through a dark cave in the side of a mountain.

Not knowing where he was going, and not really caring for that matter, he kept walking.

Eventually, the tunnel opened up, revealing something on the other side of the tall mountain.

A small clearing, surrounded on three sides by the mountain, the remaining side overlooking the sea, trees bearing some sort of fruit, a waterfall and a pond...

...so quiet...

...so restful...

Shadow flopped down on the soft grass and leaned back against a cool stone.

Even though his troubles were no more solved than before, this small place gave him a world away from reality in which he could rest and think...

...he wondered, if maybe...

'_...maybe I should just stay here forever..._

'_...this is Earth... this is what we thought it was like..._

'_...this is perfect..._

'_...this is how we wanted to live...'_

As Shadow quietly fell asleep in the setting sun, a pair of curious eyes watched him from behind the falls...


	19. New Friends, New Protector

To Musical Angelic Hedgehog: ^_^;; Don't worry... Omochao will not be making an appearance in this fanfic. Thanks for reviewing!

Please enjoy this next chapter!

* * *

While Rouge continued on her mad dash through the deep jungle, Shadow, oblivious to the world, lay sleeping in a place, forgotten and untouched by the evils of the outside...

As the sun began to rise anew, it also woke the _inhabitants_ of the tiny clearing.

And as they stretched, ready to meet another day, their eyes were met with a very strange sight, one they had never seen before...

...a black hedgehog?

Curious, not knowing any better, not knowing about the concept of "danger" at all, they crept closer.

Shadow gradually found himself awakening, too... to the sounds of small chirps.

As he opened his eyes, _he_ saw a group of creatures that _he'd_ never seen before.

Small, blue beings, with almost pudding-like bodies. Seven of them, all looking back at him with the same intensity. Yellow spheres floating about their heads, which in itself was a strange feature...

Seeing that their new "playmate" was awake, they began to call out...

"_Chao! Chao! Chao!..."_

Shadow blinked, surprised that such a small creature could create such a ruckus... albeit, a _cute_ ruckus...

One of them waddled towards Shadow, ready to play a game to start their day.

"Chao chao...?"

"...hi," Shadow said, not quite sure what to say...

"Chao..." The Chao, for that's what the being was, blinked innocently, waiting for the black creature before it to move.

"Chao, chao, chao," the Chao behind the leader chorused.

However, Shadow didn't move, still rather bewildered by the tiny Chao in front of him. Quickly losing patience with him, the Chao began to wander off through the Chao Garden.

One strolled up to a tall tree, almost like a palm tree, with some sort of nuts growing on it. The Chao's stomach complained loudly, and the Chao stared up at the food...

The tree suddenly shook and a ripe Chao Nut fell, nearly striking the surprised Chao. "Chao...?"

"I'm sorry... are you okay?" The Chao looked up to see Shadow, who had his hands still touching the tree trunk. "You're not hurt, are you?"

"Chaao!" The Chao waved one of its small arms in a gesture of thanks. Happily, it grabbed the nearby Chao Nut and began chowing down.

Hearing the satisfied voice of their comrade, the six other Chao began to waddle towards Shadow.

Smiling in spite of himself, Shadow proceeded to obtain more Chao Nuts for his new friends.

~*~

At about eleven o'clock a.m., Prof. Kagaku was beginning to lose hope.

The trek through the jungle was not easy for a man his age... but then again, life in the Mystic Ruins had probably made it easier for him to endure the long walk.

Now, the group had stopped to rest for a moment. But escape was not possible. The professor's hands were bound behind his back, and guards were posted around the camp.

Even though his mind was working away, trying to find a way to flee, he still picked up snatches of conversation...

"_...can't believe... let it get away..."_

"_...what?..."_

"_...hedgehog... she's... important part... whole project..."_

"_...why don't... interrogate... old man?"_

"_...don't know if he'll tell the truth... better to have... evidence... firsthand..."_

"What are you plotting?!" Prof. Kagaku burst out, furious.

"This doesn't concern you, old man," one retorted.

Prof. Kagaku slumped back against a tree, knowing that an old man could never fight back against G.U.N.'s forces...

...but he could outwit them.

But as he thought, desperately hoping for the means to escape, his chances suddenly lowered...

G.U.N. wasn't stupid.

They knew better than to leave a fresh trail through the forest...

...just in case.

And this made Rouge's attempt to find them much more difficult.

Several G.U.N. officers went back, covering tracks, making sure that there weren't any visible pieces of evidence to suggest their presence.

And they were good at it.

~*~

Both breakfast and lunch were over.

Not that it mattered. When you're a Chao, you eat when you're hungry, sleep when you're tired, and swim, run, fly, climb whenever you feel like it.

The sun shone down warmly on the seven Chao and one hedgehog. Shadow sought the comfort of the cool shade, for his dark fur became nearly unbearable in the hot afternoon.

As the air warmed, all eight creatures felt the day grow more and more comfortable and lazy...

Shadow yawned, leaning against the cool slab of stone. Closing his eyes, he began to doze off...

...then promptly was awakened. Looking to his right, he noticed a Chao huddled up next to him in the shade.

A strange feeling overcame Shadow... a feeling of absolute power, but at the same time...

...a yearning to protect those weaker than him...

...a feeling he'd long since forgotten.

Something that he vaguely remembered...

_...from his days with Maria..._

Closing his eyes again, Shadow returned to his afternoon nap...

...not noticing the other Chao begin to crowd around him, seeking his protection.

...not noticing the mist that began to move in from the outside...

...or the smiling figure of an Echidna girl, who was to greet him when he awoke...

* * *

A/N: This chapter is a little short, but I wanted to cut it off so that the next chapter can be totally focused. I'm going to start working on it now, so I might even be able to post it by today! Check back soon.

~Ryuko


	20. Child of the Chaos

A/N: Needless to say, I did not get this chapter uploaded as soon as I would have liked to... nevertheless, I've been waiting a long time to write this chapter... I hope you enjoy it!

Also: Marking the completion of the 20th chapter, a second edition of "Wishes Are Eternal: BLOOPERS!" has been posted on my site! Please go to .com/vulpix to read it and the previous one, if you haven't already.

* * *

A young girl's voice...

"You must be Shadow."

The black hedgehog jerked awake. The afternoon had passed to early evening, and the earth had cooled. Somehow, the entire garden was covered in a light fog, as if it were being concealed from the rest of the world...

Carefully, so as not to disturb the seven Chao resting by him, Shadow looked around for the voice...

His eyes fell on an Echidna, standing by the water's edge. Her blue eyes sparkled, like the pool behind her...

_...like Maria's used to..._

"Who... who are you?" Shadow asked quietly. "How did you know my name...?"

The girl smiled. "One question at a time. My name is Tikal. And I know your name from your friends."

"My friends...?"

"I've heard much about you from Rouge and Knuckles," Tikal explained. "It's a great honor to meet you in person."

Shadow hesitated, not sure what to say. "I... thank you..."

Tikal smiled, somehow putting Shadow at ease. "I understand that you are having difficulties in your life."

Shadow was quiet, not sure what to say. Finally, he asked, "How do you know this...?"

The Echidna gazed into Shadow's eyes. "I know of many things. I have lived upon this planet for many centuries..."

"Centuries?" Shadow repeated disbelievingly. The girl, Tikal, only looked to be about fourteen, maybe fifteen...

Tikal saw the confusion in Shadow's eyes. "I do not age... for I am but a spirit."

"A spirit... you mean..." Shadow stared at the girl before him. A spirit? Her?

Tikal's feet, clad in sandals, made little noise on the soft grass as she walked toward him. She kneeled down on the ground, just a few feet from where Shadow lay. She smiled as she watched the Chao, still sleeping soundly.

"A peaceful life they lead... Chao," she whispered. "Here, where all is wonderful..."

Shadow followed her gaze to the Chao spread around him. "I know... this must be like heaven on Earth..."

As he looked up, he suddenly noticed Tikal looking straight at him. But it wasn't as if she were looking _at him..._

...it was more like she was looking _into his soul..._

"You wish to find peace on this planet too, don't you?" she said calmly.

"..." Shadow was quiet.

"But it's difficult for you... because you contain the secret of Chaos."

"_Who are you...?!"_ Shadow exclaimed, shocked. "How do you know these things...?!"

Hearing Shadow's outburst, one Chao squirmed, opening its eyes. Blinking, it looked back and forth from Tikal to Shadow.

Shadow's eyes softened. "I'm sorry... did I wake you?" He carefully picked the Chao up in his hands and settled it down on his lap.

Ignoring Shadow's previous questions, Tikal shifted her gaze to the Chao. Almost absentmindedly, she began to pet one gently. "Look at them... so small, but so perfect..." She looked at Shadow. "The ultimate life form."

Shadow stared at the Chao. "...I know you won't answer me, so it's pointless to ask... but what do you mean?"

"Hmm..." Tikal smiled. "I'm sorry. I've been rude, ignoring your questions. But let me say one thing. You have more in common with that child you're holding than you think... you could say that you're almost brothers."

'_What? Me? A brother to _this?' Shadow thought incredulously.

"From the expression on your face, you don't believe me," Tikal said, laughing. "But please, listen to what I have to say before you decide...

"The Chao are children of the Chaos. Just like you are."

"'Children of the Chaos'...?"

"Within your body, deep in your soul, the power of Chaos Energy flows. You are able to harness Chaos Energy in order to keep yourself alive. In the same way, these Chao, even though they are born weak and helpless, use the Chaos Energy to grow stronger."

"They can use Chaos Energy too...?"

Tikal smiled. "You were not born in the same way that most are. You were, as you say, 'created'. But you were created the same way that these Chao were born naturally. Despite your different bodies, you are all the same on the inside.

"Both of you hold the secret to eternity."

"Eternity..."

"_Shadow.... wishes are eternal...."_

"But what is eternity?" Shadow mused.

Tikal looked at the black hedgehog sympathetically. "Eternity can be a long time... especially if you are lonely. I know," she added.

"How can you know?" Shadow asked bitterly. "Why haven't you gone on to the afterlife? Is your eternity to be spent on this planet forever?"

"I have not gone to the afterlife... because I know there are still things that I must do," Tikal responded.

"Won't you be lonely too?"

"No... I have a friend," she smiled.

A long pause followed. Shadow was about to say something when the water behind Tikal began to agitate. To his surprise, the water began to take on a form!

The creature was transparent with a blue tint, made entirely out of water. His long arms and legs dangled loosely, and his enormous, green eyes shone like emeralds.

"This is Chaos," Tikal explained.

"The Guardian of the Chao... just as I was once the Guardian of the Master Emerald."

"You were the...? Then... that must be how you knew so much about Chaos Energy," Shadow said, in awe, but not willing to show it.

"Chaos, just like you and the Chao, also holds the gift of immortality... or rather, is it a curse?" Tikal pondered out loud.

"Life is only worth it if you have something to live for," Shadow said. "Life is only worth it... if you have a _purpose..."_

"My purpose is to guard the Master Emerald... and the secret of Chaos," Tikal said, standing up. "And because Chaos will always carry Chaos Energy, 'eternity', inside him, he will also live forever. His mission is to forever protect the Chao... his friends.

"Shadow... running away is not going to help you."

Shadow looked up.

"Sometimes, things don't go the way we want them to. Sometimes things take a turn for the worst. But they _will_ all come out fine eventually... if you continue to persevere. If you run, you will never see what might have happened."

"What if what happens... is only a tragedy?"

"Something good comes out of everything." Tikal's eyes were gentle as they looked into Shadow's bitter ones. "It may take you a long time to realize it... but even a little good comes out of the biggest tragedy. Even if it is only the appreciation of what you have now."

Tikal closed her eyes, and the fog began to disperse.

Sensing that she was about to leave, Shadow laid the Chao he was holding on the ground and stood up.

Tikal opened her eyes apologetically. "I am sorry that I cannot help you more... but there are some things that you will have to learn on your own.

"But... one last thing.

"You will not find your destiny, your purpose, by _hiding away..."_

The fog began to lift, and Chaos and Tikal disappeared.

The sun was in the sky already, and the Chao began to wake up.

As he went about, gathering Chao Nuts, Shadow pondered what to do...

~*~

"_Excuse me, have you seen a black hedgehog...?!"_

Sonic was dashing around downtown Station Square, asking people if they'd seen a black hedgehog.

Needless to say... they hadn't.

"Arrgh... _I hate you Shadow!"_ Sonic yelled, startling the kids in the park. "Why did you run away like that?! Now I have to work my butt off trying to find you!"

'_You don't have to, you know...'_ Sonic could imagine Shadow saying. _'Leave me alone!'_

"Excuse me, Mr. Sonic--"

"_WHAT?!"_ Sonic screamed, whipping around to find himself face-to-face with... Nina.

"..."

"I... uh... I'm sorry," Sonic laughed nervously. "I'm... a little worked up, you know, kind of... tense..."

"Are you... looking for your brother?" Nina asked.

"My what? Oh, uh, yeah, Shadow, that's right, you met him before," Sonic said, everything slowly coming back to him...

"My friend saw him, about two days ago--"

"_Where?!"_ Sonic exclaimed, grabbing Nina by the shoulders.

"...my friend's right over there, do you want to talk to--"

"Yes!" Sonic ran in the direction that Nina was pointing.

"...wait! Not _that_ way!" Nina yelled, following the blue hedgehog.

~*~

"I was trying to pick up this money I found in the street, when a car started coming," the little boy said. "Then a black hedgehog picked me up and dropped me on the sidewalk--"

"Which way did he run?" Sonic asked quickly.

"Towards the train station and the hotel," the boy said. "Why are you asking me--"

"Thanks, see ya' later!" Sonic yelled, dashing off that way.

"...he's in a hurry, huh?" the boy said, a bit dazzled by Sonic's speed.

"Of course he's in a hurry! He's Sonic the Hedgehog!" Nina declared.

~*~

"Oh, yeah, now that I think about it, a black hedgehog _did_ run into the train station..."

"Mm-hm! Ran right past me, blew the ticket out of my hand..."

"Of _course_ I saw it!! It didn't have a ticket, so I yelled 'Hey! You need a ticket!' but no, it just jumped onto the rails headed to the Mystic Ruins and kept on going..." the indignant worker sputtered.

"Thanks, sir! You've helped a lot!" Sonic grinned. After asking around, he had a fairly good idea where Shadow was going...

Not waiting for the next train, Sonic hopped onto the rails. "I'll see ya' around when I get back!" He took off running.

"_...no one has a ticket anymore!"_ the worker yelled angrily.

~*~

_When all of the Chao were eating their brunch, he knew._

_He had to leave._

"_Good-bye," Shadow whispered to his new friends, and slipped out the way he had come._

"_Chao chao..." they chorused._

"_Farewell... come back someday..."_

_From out of sight, floating in the sky..._

_...Tikal smiled._

"_He made the right choice..."_


	21. Freedom and Capture

Author Notes: Thank you very much, Musical Angelic Hedgehog, for sticking up for me against that "Secret Person"... person. As a warning to anyone who will attempt to flame this story, I _will_ delete those reviews (several reasons, one of which is that I don't think the review board should be abused like that). I really don't want to have to block anonymous reviews... I don't think that's fair to the other anonymous reviewers. :)

Anyway, an apology for taking so long to update. ^^;; I'm extremely busy at the moment... But don't worry, I'll continue to type as much as I can! (I'm on vacation! Yay~!)

* * *

"I hate this. I hate this jungle. I hate this stupid, stupid jungle..." Rouge found herself muttering as she halfheartedly pushed her way through the thick brush.

"This is pointless..." she sighed. G.U.N. had obviously covered their tracks... and done it well. Tracking them through the thick forest, where they obviously would have had to break down branches and leaves, seemed easy at first, but...

"They must have split up or something... left a false trail," Rouge groaned, exasperated, as she flopped down on the rather uncomfortable ground.

"Guess I can't try to track them anymore... might as well just start searching the entire, stupid jungle for 'em," she muttered furiously as she began to scale the nearest tree...

Once she had launched off the treetop and was airborne, Rouge felt a whole lot better. Flying has that effect on people.

Shading her eyes against the morning sun, she took a complete survey of the area.

But as far as the eye could see... nothing.

Sighing once more, Rouge began to circle the jungle aimlessly, without a lead, without a hint as to where G.U.N. might be. All by herself, with only the loud screechings of birds and other wildlife, which became quite irritating after a short while...

As she flew above the trees, Rouge began to ponder, once again, what G.U.N. was really after.

She had spied on them. Once. She had pretended to be working with them for a short time, just a small mission or so to find information about the national government's top weapons, in order to find out how their database was built... and how to get into it.

Project: Shadow. How far were they going to go to capture him?

She grimaced as she remembered the blueprint of G.U.N.'s new weapon. The one that would drain Chaos Energy.

But, if what Knuckles' ancestor had said was true...

...then G.U.N. might actually kill Shadow before he gave himself up.

Did they know that?

Was G.U.N. aware of how much Shadow relied on Chaos Energy...?

Rouge shook her head.

No. That was just a theory of hers, that Shadow's life depended on Chaos Energy...

Suddenly, something didn't seem right. Rouge stopped in the air.

The birds, the animals of the jungle... it was quiet.

Unnaturally quiet.

Closing her eyes, Rouge listened with keen ears to the sounds of the forest.

_Trees rustling..._

_The wind blowing..._

_Humans talking...?_

Rouge opened her eyes and dropped to the ground.

She was close to G.U.N.

~*~

Prof. Kagaku sat, isolated from G.U.N. Two guards watched him offhandedly, not paying much attention at all. They knew that G.U.N. had covered the trail well enough that no normal person could find them...

As he sighed, he looked up at the dense jungle in front of him.

Briefly, he thought he saw something move...!

Blinking, he took a closer look... and was surprised when a bat girl appeared, hanging upside down from one of the nearby trees.

The bat looked at him, also somewhat surprised. She motioned for him to get closer.

Making sure no one was watching (which they weren't), Kagaku inched closer to the tree. The bat did her part and hopped from one treetop to another.

Finally, Kagaku sat with his back to one tree as the bat hid around the other side, out of sight from anyone else in the camp.

"Hey, old man," she whispered, loud enough so Kagaku could hear, but still unnoticeable to the rest of the humans. "Do you have a hedgehog friend named Talula?"

"Yes, I do. Now, if you'll excuse me, who do I have the pleasure of addressing--"

"Forget the manner. My name's Rouge. And if I'm not mistaken, this is G.U.N., isn't it?"

"Yes... it is," Kagaku muttered. Rouge was somewhat surprised by the old man's rage towards the company...

"Now, I've got to talk to you about a few things. One... are you working with G.U.N.?"

"Heavens, no," Kagaku whispered loudly. "They took me away from my home by force. I'm not going to work with them."

"Good. And your name is Kagaku, isn't it?"

"That's right."

Rouge sighed, relieved.

For she had remembered that the name of the man that G.U.N. needed to finish their machine was Kagaku. When Talula had mentioned that her friend who had been taken away was named Kagaku, it wasn't hard for Rouge to put two and two together. Prof. Tamine Kagaku was needed to work for G.U.N., but he wasn't willing to...

"I'll get you out of here. I'll attack the guards, you know, stir up some confusion, then you get out of here," Rouge hissed.

"Young lady, could you do me one favor?" Kagaku shifted so Rouge could see his hands, bound together. "If you could just--"

"No problem," Rouge responded, quickly freeing the old man. "But you have to bolt, as soon as you can, all right?"

"Right."

~*~

Sonic had reached the jungle that morning, his unspoken anxiety putting extra speed in his pace. Like Rouge, searching for G.U.N., he had no idea where Shadow might be.

Sonic ran as fast as he could, trying to cover as much ground in as little time as possible.

Trying to find a track.

Trying to find _something._

Trying to find Shadow, after all.

Something caught his attention.

Footprints. Obviously not Shadow's, but maybe they belonged to someone who had seen him.

Sonic wasn't one to stop and take in details, but he saw that whoever had made the footprints either had rather heavy shoes or was tired. In any case, the footprints were rather deep in the mud.

Sonic followed them.

It took him only seconds, a minute to cover the ground that it had taken Rouge much longer to travel.

When the footprints stopped, he saw that they led to a tree. The tree's bark was scraped off in places, showing that someone had been climbing it with those heavy shoes.

Scratching his head as to how he was going to solve _this one,_ Sonic curled up into a Spin Dash and sped up the tree trunk.

Once at the tree's summit, Sonic looked out over the jungle. Shrugging, knowing that there really wasn't anything to go on, he ran out over the treetops, the branches creating a path.

And, more by accident than design, he was also able to catch the faint voices of humans as he almost ran past them.

As he dropped with a dull _thump_ to the ground, he spotted a familiar face...

And called out, without thinking.

"Hey, Rouge!"

~*~

Rouge was about to launch an attack on the guards, when Sonic's voice reached her.

And the rest of G.U.N.

As the guards whipped around, startled, Rouge's instincts took hold of her as she knocked each one out with a kick.

She turned around quickly, spotting Sonic.

However, as it always goes, if you're desperate to see something, that's what you'll see...

The combination of Rouge's desperation to find Shadow, added to the fact that light scattered through leaves tends to play tricks on your eyes, caused Rouge to call out the first word that came to her mind...

"Shadow?!"

By this time, any covers had been blown, and G.U.N. was fully aware of the presence of the intruders.

"It's Project: Shadow!" someone yelled, pointing at Sonic.

"Shadow? What? No, Rouge, it's me!" Sonic yelled, pointing at himself and dashing towards Rouge.

"Sonic?" Rouge stared. "Get out of here!"

"Get him!" a G.U.N. officer ordered, as the group of soldiers ran for Sonic.

'_They think I'm Shadow,'_ Sonic thought.

A sudden thought bubbled to his mind...

'_The hair-dye...! Shadow was blue the last time these people saw him!'_

Sonic jumped clear over the heads of the humans, an idea forming in his head, for he detested G.U.N. as well.

Lowering his voice as well as he could, trying to imitate Shadow, Sonic called out...

"Hey! Do you really think you can catch _me,_ the Ultimate Life Form?"

Now that the humans were able to get a good look at him, one called out, "That's not Project: Shadow! I heard Project: Shadow was black and red!"

A different person retorted, "Hey, stupid! I was there the last time we tried to catch it! It was blue!"

Sonic had to keep himself from laughing at their argument. Just then, a scream rang out from across the clearing.

'_Rouge,'_ Sonic remembered.

Dashing across the camp, Sonic grabbed Rouge's hand and freed her from the G.U.N. officers trying to attack her. He ran up a tree, pulling her with him.

"I haven't got much time, so I'll explain now. Get yourself out of here, get to Station Square, and tell Tails to head to South Island. He'll know what to do," Sonic whispered to Rouge, hurriedly but clearly. She nodded. "I'm going to stay with G.U.N. for a bit..."

As Sonic was about to leap down from the tree, Rouge halted him. "Wait," she said. "See that old man? I've got to have time to get him out of here, too--"

"No problem," Sonic grinned. "I'm pretty good at making distractions..." He got ready to leave again.

"Wait!"

"_Now what?!"_ Sonic asked, getting slightly irritated.

"What are you going to do when they find out you're not Shadow?"

Sonic shrugged. "Beats me. I'll figure that part out when we get there."

Rouge groaned. "You're impossible..."

Suddenly, Rouge remembered one last thing.

"G.U.N. is building a machine, a weapon... it's supposed to drain Chaos Energy. Sonic..." she looked at him pleadingly. "Kagaku, the old man, he was supposed to help them finish it. Since I'm going to help him escape, they won't be able to. The thing is, I don't think they need _him_ so much as they need knowledge about Chaos Energy. Sonic, _please_ don't give them any answers..."

"Sure thing, no problem. Is that all?" Sonic asked, poised to head back to the skirmish.

"Yeah..."

"Thanks. I'll see you sometime." Sonic flashed a grin. "Remember. Station Square. Tails. South Island. Get him that message."

"Right." Rouge and Sonic parted ways.

"All right. Do you think you can beat me?" Sonic yelled in his 'Shadow' voice, taunting G.U.N.

While Sonic distracted the soldiers, Rouge pulled Kagaku away from the area. Rouge cringed, listening to Sonic. "Who does he think he is? He doesn't sound like Shadow at all..."

Kagaku smiled. "Maybe not... but we do owe him a lot."

"Yeah..." Rouge agreed. "Come on, let's hurry it up."

When they had gotten a fair distance away from G.U.N., Rouge said, "All right. Now, hold onto my wrists and whatever you do, _don't let go."_

"What? Whatever for--" Kagaku was startled as Rouge picked him up by the wrists and began to fly towards the treetops.

"Forgive me if we're going a bit slow," she muttered, "but humans such as yourself are quite heavy for a girl to carry..."

"My apologies..." Kagaku said.

"Ah, forget about it. Anyway, there's something I want to talk to you about. You worked with Gerald Robotnik when he was creating Shadow, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did," Kagaku said, surprised that anyone knew about it. "How did you--"

"Never mind how I know. But can you answer this for me?"

"Yes, anything. What?"

"Does Shadow... live on Chaos Energy?"

~*~

After a brief struggle, more to give Rouge and Kagaku a chance to get away, Sonic had given up to G.U.N.

Now, his hands tied behind his back, he was being made to walk through the jungle.

A horribly long and boring journey for Sonic the Hedgehog.

"Are we there yet?" he whined like a little kid, forgetting that he was supposed to be Shadow.

"No, now shut up," someone said, poking Sonic in the back with a rifle.

'_I really hate you,'_ Sonic thought hotly. _'As soon as I get out of this mess, I'm going to--'_

At that moment, the entire party stopped in front of a wall of rock. A G.U.N. official touched a nearby tree.

A door in the rock opened up, and to Sonic's amazement revealed a giant building, concealed within.

As the group proceeded inside, Sonic stared in awe at all of the high-tech gizmos and machines that he'd never understand nor need in his life.

'_What Tails would give to be _here,' he thought.

'_Well, he will soon enough...'_

~*~

"Project: Shadow..." Kagaku murmured, deep in thought.

He had been thinking for several minutes over Rouge's question, sometimes pondering out loud.

"I'm not quite sure," he finally answered, knowing that he was disappointing Rouge. "I'm sorry... but I was mostly a helper to Professor Robotnik. He did all of the work, and when he died those secrets went with him. I'm sorry."

"It's all right," Rouge said, although inside she felt that it was anything _but_ all right. "I didn't expect it to be this easy."

"However... Project: Shadow was created in a search for immortality... so it's very likely," Kagaku offered.

"Mm." The two continued their flight.

"Rouge?" Kagaku said, breaking the silence. "Do you know where Talula has hidden herself? I would like her to know that I'm all right..."

"Yeah, sure." Rouge changed her path slightly, and in a few minutes they had reached the site of Kagaku's house.

The professor sighed when he saw the mound of ashes that was left. "No matter," he finally said. "No one was hurt. That's all that matters. Come this way," he motioned for Rouge to follow.

As the two walked on a well-trodden path, Rouge had to ask.

"How did you meet Talula? It wouldn't seem likely for a scientist of your status to be living here in the jungle."

"Oh, I moved here quite a few years ago... I'd visited the jungles once, and I had to live here... after I left G.U.N.," Kagaku admitted.

"You worked for...?"

"Yes, once. But after I learned that they were only after power and weapons, I had to leave. I'm sorry that it took 30 years before I officially left them..." Kagaku sighed. "I met Sayil and Mani, Talula's mother and father, while I was on vacation. This was before Talula was born," he added.

"The three of us became very good friends. Mani taught me much about how he worked and how they lived, and Sayil taught me which herbs were good for treating wounds and disease. When their daughter was born, it seemed like a perfect life."

Kagaku paused. "However...

"Their daughter, Talula, was born with a genetic disease... an immunodeficiency. It was a less severe form of the disease that had afflicted Professor Robotnik's granddaughter."

"Maria," Rouge said.

"That's right. But at any rate, that hedgehog baby wouldn't have lived. And I knew too much about the disease by then to let it go without doing anything. So I..." Kagaku sighed. "I went back to G.U.N. and took some of their equipment. I returned to the jungle and treated Talula with gene therapy. I gave her the chance for a life.

"But G.U.N. didn't see it that way. They felt that I had betrayed them. As a result, they have always had a grudge against me.

"Sayil and Mani were grateful to me, though. They gave me a home, they gave me food, they taught me how to live in my paradise. They were my friends," Kagaku reminisced, smiling at the memories of days gone by.

"What happened to them?" Rouge asked.

"Life in the jungle is difficult... when I had first arrived in the jungle, I had been given vaccinations for the many diseases here. However... Sayil and Mani fell ill one day. They passed away when Talula was about five." Kagaku looked down at the trail. "That was ten years ago."

"Fifteen years..." Rouge thought.

She stopped. "Fifteen years ago, something occurred called 'Project: Shadow 02'. Did you have anything to do with that? Is that... Talula?"

"'Project: Shadow 02' was a failure," Kagaku replied. "All it was was an attempt to create a new Project: Shadow, using the genes of the one we had. Basically a clone. It was supposed to be even more advanced... but it never happened. It became lost." Kagaku shrugged. "At least, that's what I've heard. I left just after the final stages were initiated."

"Hmm..."

"We're here," Kagaku said, pointing to the small hut ahead of them. He turned to Rouge. "I can't thank you enough. Would you stay for a late lunch?"

"I'm sorry," Rouge said. She looked up at Kagaku. "I have something to do. For Sonic."

"I understand." Before turning and heading to the house, Kagaku added, "When you see that young man again, please let him know how much I appreciate what he did for us."

"I will." Rouge turned and took off.

Kagaku stood behind, waving farewell.


	22. The Search Is On

"_The train for Station Square will be departing soon..."_

"No! Wait!" Rouge came barreling down the path left by earlier explorers into the jungle. Thanks to some quick directions given to her by Prof. Kagaku and Talula, exiting the jungle was much easier than she'd expected.

Catching the train, however, was a different matter...

"Wait for me!" Rouge flew up to the train station, skipping the steps altogether, and arrived at the door...

...just in time to see the train start to leave.

"Oh, no you don't!" Rouge took a running start, then barely managed to grab the back door of the train.

Opening it, jumping inside, and slamming it quickly, the exhausted bat slumped into a chair, glaring at the people who stared at her.

'_Station Square, here I come...'_

~*~

"Oh, where have you gotten to, Sonic?" Amy half-wailed, staring out the apartment window.

"Please, Amy, Sonic's only been gone one day. Give him some time, he'll be back," Tails pleaded with the distraught girl. "He just went out to look for Shadow. Maybe he found something."

"...Sonic," Amy sighed, looking past her reflection out onto the busy street.

"To tell the truth... it's really not Sonic I'm worried about," Tails said slowly. "It's... Shadow. I mean, Sonic's pretty smart about how to act in the city, you know, but Shadow... I mean, Shadow's lived up in space all his life. He probably doesn't know what life is like on Earth at all."

Amy sighed. "I know. I'm being selfish. Sonic can take care of himself." Her voice started to quaver. "I... I should know that... He's saved me so many times, I've never really thought about how much he lived by himself before he met me... us...

"But even so, that doesn't stop me from worrying about him..."

"Amy..." Tails watched Amy as she looked out of the window. "He'll be back. You'll see. He always comes back. And he'll bring Shadow with him."

"That's right..." Amy stood up. "I suppose I should stop pouting... I want to look good for the boys when they get back." Amy turned and walked to the bathroom to freshen up.

Tails smiled.

'_I know how much you're worrying, Amy, even if you won't let on... You care about him a lot. Both of them._

'_But he'll be back... he always manages to return from everywhere he goes, safe and sound.'_

Tails frowned. _'But it is really Shadow I'm worried about. Since G.U.N.'s come back, who knows what's going to happen? Why are they still after him?'_

~*~

At around lunchtime that day, there was a knock at Amy's door.

Upon answering it, Amy found herself face-to-face with none other than Rouge.

"I'm here to see Tails. Where is he?"

After sitting down, Rouge gave a brief summary of what she had found since G.U.N. had attacked Sonic and Shadow at Emerald Coast to Amy and Tails.

"...and then Sonic told me to come here, to tell you to get to South Island. He said you'd know what to do."

Before Tails could respond, Amy had jumped up furiously. "That jerk! What could he be thinking?!"

But Tails was looking at the situation in a different light. Grinning, he started to laugh. Rouge and Amy stared at Tails as if he had gone insane.

"What's so funny?" Amy asked, irritated.

"Sonic!" Tails blurted out. "Wow, I completely underestimated him. I'd never expect someone like him to plan ahead like that!"

"_What?!"_ both girls yelled impatiently.

Tails calmed down enough to explain. "Amy, do you remember how Sonic and I got into a fight, back on South Island?"

Amy thought back. "Yeah, it was over some kind of machine that you'd... built..." Her face slowly started to break into a smile.

Rouge was clueless. "What in the world are you two talking about?"

However, Tails was hurriedly explaining the rest to Amy. "Since Sonic's with G.U.N. now, if we can track down Sonic, we can--"

"--find G.U.N. too!" Amy finished. "Then we can shut them down for good!"

"Hey, Rouge, do you want to come along?" Tails asked the bewildered spy.

"Um... sure, if you'll explain to me what's going on."

"I'll do that on the way there. In the meantime, let's go grab the Tornado!"

As the three rushed out of the apartment building, Amy asked, "Where have you been keeping the Tornado, anyway?"

Tails grinned. "I've been keeping it in a shed, downtown. Being a town hero has its perks, you know."

"Town hero?" Rouge repeated.

"It's a very, very long story... to make it short, Eggman fired a missile on the city, but it was a dud. Basically, I beat him to it before he could detonate it, then I cut the wires. No big deal."

"Wow. I'm impressed," Rouge said, raising an eyebrow. "Given some time, you could probably be an even better scientist than that mad doctor." Tails blushed.

"Thanks..."

~*~

As the plane veered south over the ocean, Tails took the time to fill Rouge in on what was going on.

"See, a long time ago, Sonic and I used to live on South Island."

"I know that much. Knuckles told me."

"Anyway, one day, Eggman came to us, tricked us into going to his lab. But to show us how to get there, he gave us this wristwatch navigator. When we got to his place, he scanned Sonic and put his life data into a robot named Metal Sonic."

"Hmph," Amy sniffed. "I remember that thing."

"After that, Amy," Tails sighed. Continuing, he explained, "I won't go into much detail about Metal, since that's not important right now. But what I did was I rewired the navigator to pick up Metal and Sonic's brainwaves, kind of like a way to track them down."

"So, if you can pick up Sonic's brainwaves," Rouge said, "then we can find G.U.N. at the same time!"

"Right," Tails said. "And, if you two ladies will give me a few minutes once we get there, I'm pretty sure I can set it up on my computer to make it just a little bit easier than that..."

A thought went through Rouge's mind at that moment. "Tails?" she asked. "If you could pick up Sonic's location... do you think it'd be possible to get Shadow's, too?"

Tails shook his head. "No... 'fraid not. I don't have a trace on Shadow's brainwaves or anything--"

Rouge stopped Tails. "No, listen to me. You created a false Chaos Emerald once, didn't you?"

Tails blinked. "Yeah. How'd you know about--"

"Never mind how I know. The thing is, you must know something about the energy patterns of the Chaos Emeralds, right?"

"Right."

"Now, if you can set up your navigator to track an energy pattern like that of a Chaos Emerald, you'll be able to find Shadow. Trust me."

"You're sure?" Tails was skeptical. "Is he carrying an Emerald around with him, or--"

"No. I've been doing some research, and, well, I have a feeling that Shadow has the power of the Chaos Emeralds within himself. Maybe even the same with Sonic."

Tails gawked. "You're kidding me."

Rouge shook her head. "No, I'm not. When I was still working as a spy, I had to find information on Project: Shadow. Chaos Energy was a large part of that project. I'm not 100% positive, but I'm pretty sure that Shadow and the Chaos Emeralds are somehow linked together." She looked at Tails. "Do you know the concept of _chi?"_

"You mean, like, the energy that flows in all living things?"

"Yeah. I've been talking to Knuckles, and he knows about stuff like that. According to him and Tikal, every time someone comes into contact with a Chaos Emerald, a little bit of the Emerald's power becomes fused with that person's chi. Just a little bit.

"The thing is, we wonder if Shadow's chi is completely made up of Chaos Energy, as if that's what he lives on."

Tails bit his lip. "But, if that's so... Chaos Energy never changes form. It just keeps on going. If that's so with Shadow, then..."

"That's the whole point," Rouge sighed. "Project: Shadow wasn't just looking for the Ultimate Life Form. It was a quest...

"...to find immortality."

Amy gasped. Rouge continued. "Did you see how quickly Shadow healed from his burns after falling from space? And how quickly his fur grew back? I swear... it has to be the doing of the Chaos Emeralds.

"Put plainly... _Shadow can't die._ He was created to live forever."

"That's... unnatural," Tails said, his voice faltering. "I knew the Chaos Emeralds had the potential to give anyone immense power, but... eternal life?"

Amy broke in. "It's... amazing. It's horrible, but it's amazing in the same way. The same Emeralds can cause terrible destruction... but endless life."

Rouge sighed. "But the Chaos Energy might become Shadow's own undoing, too. G.U.N. was trying to create a machine to drain Chaos Energy. I don't know if it'll work, though, since I freed Kagaku. But the other thing was, could the Chaos Energy be dangerous to Shadow from the inside out?"

No one spoke. The three sat in the airplane quietly.

After a few minutes, Tails broke the silence.

"All right, everyone... we're here."

~*~

Dashing inside the airplane house, Tails reached for the machine tucked away in the corner.

Amy smiled. "I'm so glad Sonic didn't make you throw it away after all."

Tails laughed. "Where would I throw it? We're out in the middle of the ocean!" The two-tailed fox started up the electricity. "Now, just give me a few seconds..." Tails opened up a laptop that he'd brought along.

"Now what are you doing?" Rouge asked, looking over Tails' shoulder.

"You ever used a GPS?"

"GP... what?" Amy asked.

"Global Positioning System. Hang on a minute..." Tails hooked up the laptop to the small wristwatch navigator.

In seconds, a map of the Earth popped up on Tails' computer. Two dots began blinking. "See," Tails explained, "this..." he pointed to one dot, "is where we are. And this," he pointed to the other one, "is where Sonic is. Looks like... somewhere in the jungle by the Mystic Ruins! Now..." Tails ran out to the Tornado and opened up a compartment, taking out a small box. "Here we go," he smiled. "The false Emerald." He turned and smiled at Rouge. "If I reverse the energy reading I get from this, it'll be the same as a regular Chaos Emerald."

Tails quickly scanned the fake Emerald, then downloaded the information. He stood up and grinned. "We're all set to go!"

When they had all gotten back into the Tornado and were headed towards the Mystic Ruins again, Rouge asked, "So... where is Shadow?"

Tails handed her the laptop. "The program's already running, so..."

Rouge opened the laptop and blinked.

"So? Where is he?" Tails asked.

"He's... he's in the jungle, too...

"He's headed right towards Sonic."

"What?" Then, that means he's headed towards G.U.N., too!" Amy yelped.

"Wait... just a minute..." Rouge looked at the map more closely. "It doesn't look like he's moving that quickly, and he's going to run across Prof. Kagaku and Talula first, so they'll probably stop him before he gets too far..."

"Prof. Kagaku? Talula? Who're they?" Tails asked.

"Oh... just some folks I met in the jungle."

The plane made a dull roaring sound as it zoomed across the ocean towards the jungles...


	23. Inside GUN

A/N: Happy One-Year Anniversary to me! :D

The idea for the "prison cell" in this chapter is not really mine... I took it from Sonic X. ^_^;; You'll all see it whenever they start airing new episodes...

* * *

"Okay... so this is new."

Sonic looked around his prison cell, a clear box with completely solid walls. Whether it was made of high grade plastic or tempered glass, he didn't know...

All he knew was that it was pretty strong.

His prison cell did have a door. The only problem was, his cage was suspended about five feet off the ground, from the ceiling, and on all sides.

As the guards who had thrown him in walked away, via a bridge that extended from the outer wall to the glass cage, the area outside of Sonic's cage began to fill with...

_...water...?!_

Sonic blinked in disbelief. A room made of glass, contained within _another_ room, and the space between the two, blocking his way to the exit, was occupied by something none other than _water?_

Looking up, he sighed in relief as he noticed there was an air vent, connecting his prison to the ceiling of the larger room.

'_At least I won't suffocate before I think of a way to get out of here,'_ he thought, trying to be optimistic...

As Sonic began to pace his cell, which was only about seven feet wide and ten feet long, a voice over an intercom came from _somewhere..._

"So, how do you like your new home?"

Sonic paused and looked around for the source of the noise. Realizing there wasn't really anyone around, he grinned and said,

"It's alri-- Ah, it's fine," he said, remembering who he was trying to be. "What, couldn't afford wallpaper?"

"Don't be so cocky. You're in a prison, remember. Look around you," the voice growled. "It's perfect... completely designed to suit you. Thick glass walls, suspended within another room. And even if you _could_ get out, you can't escape. Water surrounds you on all sides..."

'_I hate to admit it, but he's right...'_ Sonic bit his lip.

"And in just a minute, we'll come down and have a thorough look at you..." The intercom clicked off.

Sonic sighed, then sat against one of the walls.

'_Great. Now what am I going to do? There's no way that they'll mistake me for Shadow if they look close enough. Fooling those kids back in the forest was different...'_ Sonic sighed.

'_What am I going to do when the others show up?'_

~*~

Back in his office, the leader of G.U.N. was busily questioning his workers.

What color was it? Blue...?

Did the quills jab upwards at the ends? No...?

But we've got it captured? Yes, sir...

The old man sighed. It didn't sound like the Project: Shadow they were after.

But maybe this hedgehog was just as good as the next one.

After all, if not Shadow...

...perhaps they'd captured the one called Sonic.

~*~

As Sonic stood with his face pressed against the wall, knowing better than to try and break it, the same thought ran through his mind, over and over again...

'_This... really... blows...'_

Suddenly, the walkway from the outer room extended from the wall, attaching itself to the cell door. Sonic stepped backward, not quite sure what to expect...

Along the walkway, as if it were a conveyor belt, a small, clear cube made its way to Sonic's cell. Three people were in it, two of which had probably been there at Sonic's capture. The third was an old man, probably the age of the doctor that Sonic had seen back in the forest.

The door opened. At the old man's nod, the two younger assistants brought forth a slew of sophisticated-looking equipment.

And, although Sonic could not possibly know this, the equipment that the G.U.N. members carried was none other than the equipment taken out of Prof. Kagaku's home.

"Hedgehog," the old man spoke. Sonic snapped to attention.

The old man's face seemed to grow gentler... but there was still something suspicious about him. Sonic shivered.

"Now, now... don't be so nervous... Here, why don't we just get better acquainted?" The old man smiled and held his hand out.

Despite himself, the fur on his back bristled. Sonic bit his lip. _'Okay... should I just keep up this thing that I'm Shadow?'_

The old man raised an eyebrow, still smiling. "Hey, I know you can speak. Don't pretend to be a mute."

Sonic looked at the man. His natural courage welled up in him as he casually stated, in his "Shadow" voice, "You're part of G.U.N. Why should I have anything to do with you?"

The old man sighed. Resuming his smile, his eyes were somehow cold as he said, "Give it up. The young ones around this place may not have realized it, but I know enough to know that you _are not Project: Shadow."_

"Who are you...?" Sonic found himself asking.

"Just call me Dasendo. And to whom would I have the pleasure of addressing?"

"I... I'm Shadow. Got it? Shadow," Sonic lied.

"...as you wish," Dasendo agreed. Even so, Sonic knew that the old man didn't believe him...

"Now, 'Shadow'... anything you would like to talk about?" Dasendo tried to get Sonic to open up a little more.

'_Now's my chance...'_ Sonic thought. "Why am I here?"

"Pardon?"

"Why am I here? In this prison? A prisoner? What do you want with me?"

"Oh, my friend, you are most definitely mistaken..." Dasendo waved off the question. "It is just that I and my company find you... an interesting creature to study. It is nothing."

'_Sure doesn't seem like nothing,'_ Sonic muttered to himself. He glanced at the door, which had unfortunately been shut when the three members of G.U.N. had entered. _'If only that door was open...'_

As Sonic looked from the door back to Dasendo, he noticed that the two assistants were busily analyzing something on their equipment...

'_Crap... I've been distracted!'_

A hopeless sense of desperation shot through Sonic's soul like lightning.

He leaped across the short room...

'_If I could just reach that door...!!'_

"_Oh, no you don't!"_

"No! _You_ don't!!" Sonic whipped around in mid-air, his back to the door.

However, those few seconds were enough.

Sonic saw Dasendo adjust a knob on something that appeared to be a large remote control...

...then felt as if he'd suddenly gotten weaker...

But not so weak that he couldn't fight back.

"_What do you want with me?!" _he screamed as his hands instantaneously grabbed the item that Dasendo was holding.

Without actually meaning to, Sonic managed to wrench the object out of Dasendo's hands and smash it on the ground.

_Shhfpt!_

"Aaaah..." Sonic felt his body go numb as a tranquilizer dart hit his side. As he fell limply to the ground, his seething eyes saw one of Dasendo's assistants, holding a small tranquilizer gun.

Dasendo himself looked down at Sonic, who was quickly losing consciousness. "Learn a lesson, animal," he said quietly. "Do not try to interfere."

The three humans gathered their equipment and the broken item on the ground.

As his eyelids began to close, Sonic laughed quietly.

"Hehe... but I broke your precious machine, huh?"

But to his disappointment, Dasendo waved it off. "There are more just like it... and there will be more to come. Thank you for your time... and energy."

The door to the cell opened and closed. The conveyor belt elevator carried its passengers through the wall of water.

'_I guess I panicked... should've held my head,'_ Sonic thought as his mind began to cloud.

'_But what did he mean? Energy...?'_

'_And what the heck did they do to me? It was as if... as if...'_

Sonic could barely stay awake...

'_As if they were taking __**my**_ _energy away...'_

Sonic yawned. He fell into a deep, drugged sleep...

But somewhere, in the back of his mind...

_...he remembered Rouge's warning..._

"_The thing is, I don't think they need him so much as they need knowledge about Chaos Energy. Sonic, __**please**__ don't give them any answers..."_

'_No...'_

~*~

As they walked down the hall, back to G.U.N.'s main laboratory, the two young men by Dasendo's sides were quiet.

Finally, the old man asked them, "What's on your minds?"

"Sir...?" one asked. "Why... why did you tell him about the Chaos Energy?"

"Ah, young man..." Dasendo shook his head. "First of all... that animal, whether it talks or not, is no more than a dumb animal. So no more of calling it a 'he'... it is nothing but an 'it'. Secondly..."

Dasendo looked ahead.

"That creature's destiny is to stay a part of G.U.N. So there is no need to keep secrets from it."

"You're... sure?" the other assistant asked nervously.

"Quite sure. Now..." As the small group reached the laboratory, the old man turned and held his hand out. "Would you be so kind as to lend me your computer?"

"Yes, sir." Dasendo took a laptop from one of his assistants and opened it up.

Studying the screen, a faint smile flickered across his face.

"Hm... it's just a faint signal... but it's there.

"That hedgehog definitely has a trace of Chaos Energy in his body."

Dasendo studied the readings on the computer screen. The readings had been picked up using Kagaku's instruments...

"But this definitely seals it. That hedgehog is not Project: Shadow."

"Oh...!" One of the assistants sighed in disappointment.

Dasendo turned around to face his colleague. "Oh what?"

"Nothing, sir... it's just..." The assistant sighed. "I thought we couldn't complete the project without Project: Shadow."

Dasendo shook his head. "That is what I thought before... before we found _this_ specimen. And, if all works out, it may be just as useful as the actual Project: Shadow would be. And, if you two will excuse me, I will be in my office."

As the old man shuffled up a flight of stairs alone, he pondered the mystery of Project: Shadow...

'_Project: Shadow was to be a weapon for us, the military... why did things go so wrong?'_

As he sat down at his desk and opened the laptop, his eyes desperately searching the Chaos readings for clues, his mind reviewed his twisted plots...

'_If we could only find the secret of this Chaos Energy... if only Project: Shadow had not been released!_

'_But continuing to think, "what if?" Nothing can change what has already happened... so it's probably best to work with what we've got.'_

Dasendo scowled. _'If only those fools in the jungle had not lost the professor! Then we would have all the answers we need..._

'_For did he not only help to create Project: Shadow, but attempt to revive it, almost two decades ago?_

'_Kagaku was the next best thing to Professor Gerald Robotnik himself... and we lost him!'_

Quietly, Dasendo shut down the laptop and closed it. _'I should count my blessings, I suppose... capturing the one called Sonic must have been no easy feat...'_

The old man stood and walked to the window. Looking out and down to the left, he could see the general area where the underground prison was located.

His mind turned to the past... twenty years ago...

'_Project: Shadow 02... a failed attempt to restore what was rightfully ours..._

'_Fate is cruel...'_ the old man sighed.

'_And as long as that flawed Project: Shadow roams the earth, untethered... who knows what damage it might do?_

'_Someone must bring it to justice..._

'_For a weapon without a master..._

'_...is a very dangerous weapon, indeed.'_

~*~

"Oh, Talula, I'm so sorry about this... I hope I'm not imposing too much on you," Kagaku apologized as he admired Talula's small home.

"Not at all, sir... not at all." The roan hedgehog smiled. "It's really the least I could do to pay you back, for everything you did for my family."

"I'm honored, young lady." Kagaku smiled, loking over Talula's herb garden. "My, my..."

Meanwhile, overlooking the peaceful scene...

...was none other than Shadow.

After moving south from the Chao Garden for two days, sometimes running, sometimes dashing, sometimes just walking and enjoying the scenery, Shadow had found himself truly going where his heart took him...

...a kind of freedom he had never known.

And, purely by accident, he had stumbled onto the small valley near the ocean where the jungle hedgehog, Talula, lived.

Down by her house, Talula's ears pricked up. Looking up the side of the cliff that surrounded her home, she spotted a bright flash of red.

Kagaku noticed that something was distracting Talula. "Hm? What is it?"

"We've... got a guest," Talula whispered.

"What?" Kagaku looked up and also spotted the figure standing alone on the cliff. "Oh, dear. We'd better get inside." Kagaku knew that part of the reason why Talula led such a solitary life was the fact that her house was well-hidden among the thick foliage of the forest. As a result, the few people who even found the small valley never found its inhabitant.

As the two friends began to head indoors, Talula risked one last glance at the person, who was beginning to head down the sloping land.

"Sir?"

Kagaku turned to face his friend. "What is it?"

"Didn't... didn't Nina say that her new hedgehog friend was black with red stripes...?"

"My goodness..." Kagaku quickly removed his glasses, wiped them carefully, then took another look at the visitor. Squinting, he was able to see the vague shape of a black and red hedgehog...

...and his mouth dropped open.

"Sir...?" Talula stared at the professor's surprised expression.

Suddenly, Kagaku smiled.

"Talula, what are we doing just standing here? We have a guest."

As Shadow skidded his way down the mountain, hoping he was not wearing out the soles of Sonic's shoes too much, he noticed an old man and a young hedgehog walk out from the shadows...

...and something about that old man seemed...

...familiar...

As he hopped down to the level ground, the two people ran towards him, as if they were greeting him...

The old man waved. "By any chance, would your name be Shadow?"


	24. Kagaku's Story

"Huh?"

As Shadow stood, facing the two figures, he was dumbstruck as he wondered...

'_How did that human know my name?'_

The old man quickly made his way across the narrow valley until he was only about three meters from Shadow. Breathing heavily, he stopped, smiled, and waved.

The black hedgehog was apprehensive about the situation... but still, something was familiar about this old man... he didn't seem threatening at all...

_...somehow, he was almost... friendly..._

"Whoo... I really need to get into shape..." the old man mumbled. He looked up at Shadow. "So! Shadow the Hedgehog! I never thought I'd live to see you again!"

Shadow blinked, not sure what to say. "Um..."

"Oh, wait, you are Shadow, aren't you?" The old man took his glasses off and wiped them. "My eyes aren't quite what they used to be... But you are Shadow, aren't you? I never forget a face. Maybe a name, but not a face." The old man smiled.

Shadow nodded slowly. "Yes... I'm Shadow," he acknowledged hesitantly.

"I knew it!" The old man's eyes twinkled happily. Suddenly, he sighed. "Time's been kind to you, hasn't it?"

"I..." Shadow wasn't sure what to say. After all... he didn't recall ever meeting this person, as nice as he might seem...

"Hm."

Shadow saw a light of understanding in the old man's eyes.

"I see," the old man said. "You don't remember me, do you?"

"I... I'm afraid not." Shadow looked down.

"Ah, well... maybe a chat would refresh your memory. Come into the house," the old man said, motioning towards a house, hidden in the shadows of the valley. "Have yourself a snack, son."

"Thank you..." Shadow slowly began to follow the old man. He looked up.

"Excuse me?"

The old man turned around. "Yes, Shadow?"

"You know my name... but I don't know yours."

"Oh! Of course!" The old man laughed. "My name's Tamine Kagaku. Er... _Professor_ Tamine Kagaku. Although, even if you did remember me, you probably wouldn't know that I've become a professor since... Yes, well..." Kagaku sighed as he walked back to the house. "A lot can change in fifty years."

-

Once they were all settled in around the table and each had a hot cup of tea, Kagaku tried to start up a conversation.

"So, Shadow... what brings you around here?"

The only response was silence.

"Shadow?" Kagaku repeated, while Talula sat quietly. Shadow simply stared into the teacup.

Finally, Shadow sighed and answered.

"To be perfectly honest... I'm not sure."

"Oh." That wasn't really the answer that Kagaku had been expecting.

"But," Shadow continued, "there's a few things that... I'd like to ask you... Beginning with," the black hedgehog looked up, "how you know my name."

Kagaku looked at Shadow wonderingly. "You really don't remember, do you?"

Shadow blinked. "Remember what?"

Kagaku smiled gently and set his teacup down on the table. "Remember our old days, back on ARK? When I was Professor Robotnik's intern?"

"ARK...?" Shadow set his teacup down also. "You worked for... Robotnik...?" Kagaku laughed.

"I did more than that! I helped to create you!"

However, Shadow's response was not what Kagaku had anticipated. Shadow had suddenly looked down, shaking...

"Shadow...?"

Shadow's face jerked up, his eyes blazing. "I _hate_ that name! I hate him!" The black hedgehog slammed his hands on the table, standing up. _"I'll never forgive him for what he did to me!"_

"Shadow, calm down!" Kagaku yelped, also standing up. "What are you talking about? Gerald was our friend... he was like a father to me... and like a grandfather to you," Kagaku added. Shadow turned his head to one side.

A dawn of realization came over Kagaku. He said slowly, "We're not talking about the Gerald we knew on ARK, are we?"

Shadow sighed and turned his face back to Kagaku. "I can't forgive him... I _won't_ ever forgive him. Even though I know he's dead and gone... it was all because of him." Shadow paused and looked up at Kagaku. "Please understand... it's... because of him that I can't remember you... sir," he added.

Kagaku sighed. "I never was really sure what happened to the professor after ARK was abandoned. I knew the loss of his granddaughter would be terrible for him..." Kagaku looked at Shadow. "I have been wondering, for almost fifty years now, what did old Gerald do that cost him his life?"

Shadow shook his head. "I don't know. Actually, I wasn't even sure what had happened to him. It was just... one day, he was gone. I didn't know if he was locked up, or executed, or what... I always just assumed he, well, got what was coming to him..."

Kagaku sat back down in his chair, while Shadow did likewise. "Shadow... perhaps I would be able to understand you a little better if you would explain what happened to you... after we got down from ARK."

Shadow nodded slowly. "I will... on one condition."

"What's that?"

"Tell me about... myself." Shadow's eyes half-closed in remembrance. "I barely remember anything about myself... about Maria... about my life. And there's questions I want answered, too... I hope I'm not imposing too much," Shadow looked up.

Kagaku smiled. "Of course not. Well, for starters, you were always wondering about yourself back on ARK, too, so you haven't changed as much as you might think you have."

A small smile crept across Shadow's face. The hedgehog asked, "Where should I start?"

As Kagaku looked at Shadow, he noticed a twinge of emotion in the black hedgehog's eyes.

'_Of course,'_ Kagaku thought. _'It all truly started..._

_...with Maria's death...'_

"Why don't you just start with what you remember since you arrived on Earth?" Kagaku suggested, knowing that, perhaps, even though it had been so long for him since the death of that young girl...

...that Shadow had not had time to heal...

Shadow thought, then said, "I honestly don't remember much. I can recall my capsule landing... crashing, I suppose... But from there on there's not much more until when I was awakened from where I was frozen... Although," Shadow paused, "...the professor did experiment with me... I think... I think that's when I lost my memories."

"Oh..." Kagaku nodded. "I understand..."

Shadow continued. "And, I guess it's okay to say this, now that I know what she really wanted... but I used to think..." He shifted uncomfortably.

"Yes? Go on?"

Shadow sighed. "I... used to think that I'd found my reason for being... because I thought I was meant to take revenge for Maria..."

Kagaku stood up. "...it all makes sense now," he said out loud, although Shadow and Talula could tell that he was really saying it to himself.

Talula spoke up. "Sir? What makes sense?"

Kagaku looked down at the two hedgehogs. "We'd better move to somewhere more comfortable. This story could take a while."

-

Thankfully, though Talula's house was much too small to house furniture for an adult human and another hedgehog, she knew of all the places in the valley that served just as well for a living room. On this day, Shadow and Kagaku were brought to a shaded clearing behind the small house.

"All right, you two... ready for a good long story?" Kagaku cleared his throat as the three sat down on the soft grass.

He smiled at Talula. "Let me know if I've told you this before... my memory's going, I don't know how many times I've gone off on some doddering tale while I was talking to you."

Talula smiled weakly. "Um... I'll let you know."

Shadow spoke. "Before we begin, could I please have the honor of knowing my company...?" He nodded towards Talula.

"Oh! Of course," Kagaku laughed, lightly slapping his forehead. "Shadow, meet Talula... Talula, Shadow. Actually, Shadow, the story of how I met Talula is very closely related to the story of how I know you..."

"Professor?" Talula interrupted. "Ah... perhaps Shadow would like to learn about himself rather than me...?"

"What? Oh, um, yes... Well, I'll get to that part of the story when I get to it, I suppose..." The professor cleared his throat.

"Now, see, it all began when I was a student in college. Only 21 at the time, how I miss my younger days...

"Anyway, I was very interested in what had been going on for a few years by that time... It had been about four or five years since Professor Gerald Robotnik had been working on what was rumored to be an 'Ultimate Life Form'. Of course, the general public had little or no knowledge of such a thing. The general public doesn't like to hear about things it doesn't understand," Kagaku chuckled.

"Of course, although the space colony ARK was nearly self-sufficient, the growing of plants, and therefore food, was not a perfected process, so the professor had to come down to the planet about once a month. On one of these trips, I approached him."

"You knew where he came down each time?" Shadow asked in surprise.

"He always came back to Station Square; that's was his home base, I guess you could say. So one day I approached him, and told him that I was intrigued by what was going on up on the space colony. He was a kind old man back then, and after hearing that I wanted so badly to go up in space, he let me. So, from then on, I was his assistant.

"When I first arrived on ARK, the project called Project: Shadow was well underway. Of course, it was still in its early stages, since they were still working on the Biolizard. Unfortunately, the whole thing was taking much longer than the professor had anticipated. You see, the whole project was being based on the study of Chaos Emeralds, and apparently lizards and other reptilian creatures do not handle Chaos Energy, as we called it, well.

"The professor had originally chosen lizards because it seemed that they had been around for thousands of years, so they would have a very strong life force and stable DNA sequence... but, after working with one for several years, he finally had to admit that maybe a lizard wasn't the best choice.

"He ended up with a hedgehog."

"Why a hedgehog?" Shadow asked quietly.

"Well... several reasons, really. You see... Gerald had read a lot about the legends surrounding the Chaos Emeralds. And part of the legend mentioned that the Emeralds had once been protected by an ancient tribe of echidnas. He never did find out if that was really true or not--"

"It's true," Shadow interrupted.

"Really?" Kagaku was surprised.

"It's true." Shadow smiled. "I have a... a..." He paused. Kagaku nodded, urging Shadow to continue.

"...friend... he's a descendant of those echidnas..."

"Truly?" Shadow nodded.

Kagaku smiled. "I would like to meet this friend of yours. Now, where was I? Oh, yes... Well, according to that legend, a monster had annihilated the entire echidna tribe (although, according to you, that can't be completely true, can it?), so Gerald wanted to find the next best thing. Now, there really isn't much proof that echidnas and hedgehogs are alike genetically, but they do look a great deal alike, which is part of the reason why Gerald decided to experiment with them. Oh, and you should thank his granddaughter, too," Kagaku smiled. "She hated lizards and reptiles... the like. She had been begging him for something she could hug for the longest time...

"Well, the good old man was either brilliant, or he simply had a stroke of good luck. Hedgehogs seemed to react very well to Chaos Energy. Of course, it would still be a while before the process of imbuing a creature with Chaos Energy was perfected, but he was well on his way.

"Now, at about the time that he had decided to switch from lizards to hedgehogs, I arrived on ARK. As a result, I was able to see how Chaos Energy affected them, which comes up a little later... Anyway, about a year from when I first started working on Project: Shadow, you were born.

"This was huge for us scientists, because you likely held the key to our goal, Shadow. You probably had the secrets of--"

"Immortality," Shadow finished, rather bitterly. Kagaku nodded.

Shadow looked up at the old man, almost pleadingly. "I don't remember much of my past... but I know that I was created with the power of Chaos Energy within me... and that I was born to never die. But I don't understand... why was I created?"

Kagaku sighed. "You no doubt remember Maria, right?" Shadow nodded. "Shadow... you were never meant to be her friend. You were created with the sole purpose to save her life.

"Maria was born with a genetic defect. If she hadn't been taken up to space, she would have died when she was young. Her immune system was extremely weak, a condition called an immunodeficiency. Had she been infected with anything, even a tiny bacteria that our bodies would be able to defeat before we could get sick, would have killed her.

"A few months prior to Maria's birth, the president of that time had asked Gerald to research immortality. However, he refused, because he felt that immortality wasn't something that should be known to mankind.

"But when Maria was born, Gerald realized that the offer that he'd turned down might have what it took to save his granddaughter's life. When you were created, Shadow, that's when his mission was nearly fulfilled; to cure Maria, and to help her live a normal life. That's why you were originally created.

"However, when Maria was still a young girl, maybe only five years of age, she found you in Gerald's lab when you were just a baby. She fell in love with you, and the two of you were inseparable friends from then on.

"And, to tell the truth, Shadow... your friendship with Maria was probably what insured your survival."

Shadow looked up. "What do you mean?"

"There were many other hedgehogs before you, Shadow. Many that neither you nor Maria ever knew about until after you two became friends. They died, Shadow. They died so that you and Maria could live."

Shadow felt something inside of him flinch. "I... I wasn't the only one?"

"Of course not. It took Gerald many, many tries before he could create, as he said, an Ultimate Life Form. It took him many tries before he would be able to save his granddaughter."

Shadow was silent. Kagaku looked at him, knowing that it would be hard for the hedgehog to digest this knowledge, knowledge that he had probably long since forgotten.

Shadow finally spoke. "Please continue with your story, Professor."

Kagaku continued. "When you were young... you had a rough childhood, I know. You were created to grow up quickly. You were almost an adult when Maria was ten. But a lot of the time, it was as if your mind was lagging behind your body. You wondered a lot. You were a very curious boy...

"Well... so many things happened during those years, I don't really know what to say." Kagaku smiled, remembering things long past. "All I can say is that you and Maria were never far apart... unless Gerald was testing you on something or other. I can recall having to follow you all around ARK... yes, I played babysitter a lot--"

"Please, Kagaku..." Shadow said. "Someday, I'll have time to try and remember what happened back then. It hurts bad enough when I think of... her, but if I'm going to be hearing about things that we did as kids, it's even worse because I can't remember... I'm sorry. I want to know, but I can't help but _not_ want to know, too..."

"I'm sorry..." Kagaku watched as Shadow pulled his knees up to his chest and rested his head in his arms.

"So... what've you been doing with yourself ever since...?" Shadow asked offhandedly.

Kagaku didn't need an explanation as to what Shadow meant. "I... I suppose I've gotten off-track somewhat... Well, I'll continue with what happened after ARK was... shut down...

"I'll put it this way. Anyone who survived that attack was taken to work for G.U.N. Myself and Gerald included."

As Shadow's eyes looked up, Kagaku could see anger boiling. He shook his head. "We didn't have a choice. It was blackmail. G.U.N. was a very influential force. If they said that we had been working on ways to take over the earth, people would believe them. If they said that we had been developing some sort of weapon that could have wiped out the entire population, people would believe them. They had held the reins on us the whole time. Turns out that it was G.U.N. who had financed Project: Shadow. And it also turned out that all they wanted was a weapon to use for their own, selfish purposes. They didn't realize that we were searching immortality, not for a weapon, but to cure a little girl. And they certainly didn't expect to find their 'weapons' in the forms of an uncontrollable lizard and, well, you. A seemingly harmless little creature. So, in order to obtain their 'weapon,' they needed the surviving scientists from ARK to, well, re-program you.

"However, no one from G.U.N. would have been able to begin to imagine the workings of Gerald's mind after Maria's death. And, now that I've heard what you said, that you found yourself wanting revenge, I can piece together what probably happened. My guess is... Gerald must have done something to you, blocked out all your memories except for those that reminded you of Maria... then let you remember her death. Am I right?"

Shadow nodded. "What happened was... I remembered the last things she said to me... but they were changed, as if parts of them were gone."

"Ah. I see. Gerald made sure that you were going to be _his_ weapon, not G.U.N.'s. He was determined to never see you fall into their hands... but now for the wrong reason.

"Anyway... I spent the next thirty-some years working under G.U.N.'s reign. I lost touch with Gerald and you, and finally heard that you'd been frozen until the technology could be found to bring you to, I suppose, 'their' side. But their studies remained centered around Chaos Energy until I left. I don't know what they've been doing in the last two decades."

Shadow asked, "So, how did you end up leaving G.U.N., then? Unless you're still..."

"Oh, no, no, no!" Kagaku laughed. "Actually, the reason as to why I'm no longer working with G.U.N. is sitting right next to you," he nodded towards Talula.

"Um... I'm afraid I don't see the connection..."

"Well, it really started when G.U.N. was trying to create a new 'Shadow', called Shadow02, almost 20 years ago. You see, they needed me for my knowledge of how the original Shadow had been created. I didn't really know much about the creation of Project: Shadow, but I didn't know what else to do, because I'd been working for them for so long.

"They sent me out to these very jungles, where the Chaos Emeralds were said to have originated, with an Emerald in hand. While I was here, trying to find information on the ancient civilization that was said to have guarded them, I found two of my very best friends. Two hedgehogs, named Sayil and Mani."

"My parents," Talula explained to Shadow.

"Right, but when I first met them, Talula hadn't been born yet. I stayed with her parents for a long time, while they helped me with my research. Both had grown up in the jungles and had heard the legends and stories of the Chaos Emeralds. However... I never told them why I was there.

"Then, when their daughter was born, my life changed. Talula was born with the same kind of disease that Maria had had, though not quite so severe. But I knew that I couldn't let this pass me again.

"Since Talula's disease was not so severe as Maria's, it was possible that it would be treated with proper nutrition and hygiene. That's how I got started learning about plants and their medicinal properties. However, I knew that the energy of the Chaos Emerald I had, if given in a small amount, could not hurt the baby hedgehog. I had seen it too many times to not know how to do it.

"So, leaving direct instructions to Sayil and Mani on how to take care of Talula, I rushed back to G.U.N. for equipment. When asked about why I needed it, I lied. I claimed to have discovered something that needed this machinery. In reality, no one except those who had lived on ARK would have known what the equipment was for or how to work it. I took it by helicopter to the jungle, where I was able to give Talula small amounts of Chaos Energy. A type of gene therapy, almost. Chaos Energy does strange things to DNA sometimes. I knew."

"It probably saved my life," Talula said quietly. "The Chaos Energy gave me new strength to fight. I was lucky..."

"However, G.U.N. never forgave me for that. When they found out about what I had done, they were furious. I was fired. They didn't care about my knowledge to finish Shadow02. They didn't need me. They just wanted knowledge about Chaos Energy. They knew what they were doing, though... after 30 years, no one cared about what had happened on ARK anyway. And even if I did tell, no one would believe me. So, with nowhere else to go, I came back to the jungle. The four of us lived a happy life."

"But one day, my parents became sick..." Talula whispered.

"The jungle is full of threats," Kagaku continued. "When you come to the jungle, you are required to have vaccinations, to protect you against those dangers. Often, the danger is too small to see. Talula's parents were not protected.

"They left me to raise a tiny hedgehog on my own. But time passed, and life prospered after the plague. And I began to rebuild my life.

"That's about it," Kagaku finished. "Oh, my, it's getting dark already, isn't it? We'd better get ready for the night." The old man stood up, stretched a bit, then walked back towards the house.

As Talula and Shadow stood up, Talula smiled. "He may go off on long stories like that every once in a while... but he's a good friend. I honestly owe my life to him..."

"He's a good soul," Shadow agreed. "I just wish I could remember him." He turned to Talula. "You hardly spoke at all."

She laughed. "He said everything! What's left to explain?" Talula started towards her house. "Come on. You'll want to be inside for the night, or else the bugs will get you." Shadow nodded, then followed the jungle hedgehog.

-

Nighttime had fallen.

Talula was right. If you didn't stay inside, the bugs got you.

Her house, a good fit for one hedgehog, was slightly cramped with all the company. Shadow found himself making his way to the door and heading outside. Luckily for him, the bugs didn't seem to care for his blood.

As the black hedgehog walked along the valley, he often stopped just to gaze at the world around him. What he had heard that day was still sinking in.

'_I did meet Maria. I'm not a fake...'_

Somehow, it was as if a heavy burden had been lifted.

'_Rouge was wrong. There's only one me..._

'_But...'_

Shadow suddenly realized something.

'_What was that Shadow02 thing?_

'_Was it really just a failure?_

'_Or... could it be...?'_

Shadow suddenly felt pangs of doubt.

'_Could Shadow02 have just been... a copy of the original?_

'_Am I...?'_

Shadow began to talk to himself, trying to reassure himself.

"But... then why would I have... saved the world?"

'_Maybe the real Shadow was programmed to only do good. Maybe you only have his memories. Maybe--'_

"No!" Shadow pounded his fist on the ground. "That can't be right. I'm not a fake. I'm _real..._"

"Everyone is real."

Shadow looked behind him to see Talula.

Talula looked at Shadow. It was hard to see any of him when it was so dark, but his eyes... it would be hard to miss those eyes anywhere.

She said, quietly, "I can tell... there's something wrong. Your ch'i is out of balance..."

"How do I know... that the Shadow02 he was talking about... isn't me? How do I know that I really met Maria? How do I know... that my memories are mine?" Shadow whispered. "How do I know... that I'm... me?"

Talula shook her head. "You're you. And there's really nothing you can do about it." She looked at the sky. "I'm me, and there's nothing I can do about that either. I can't help lots of things. I can't help the fact that my parents are gone. I can't help the fact that I'm here. Sometimes... things can't be helped. And if you are not who you think you are... well, there's really nothing that you could do about it. You can only be who you are..." Talula smiled. "I think I might have been a bit confusing, there..."

"That's all right. I think I understand," Shadow replied.

Talula laughed. "For all I know... I'm probably that Shadow02. I was born around that time. For all I know, the professor could be lying."

Shadow looked at her. "We have a lot in common, don't we?"

"I... I guess. I don't know."

"I mean, the Chaos Energy. Have you ever thought about what it does to you?"

"No... not really." Talula shook her head. "All I know is that it saved me." She looked at Shadow. "Do you remember what the professor said about you? That you were created to save that girl's life?" Shadow nodded.

"Well... if it weren't for you, if it weren't for the knowledge that you gave Professor Kagaku... I probably wouldn't be alive. I owe my life to you, too," Talula smiled. "Thank you."

Shadow smiled sadly. "I wish I could have saved her life."

Talula looked upwards. "Look at the stars... they're so pretty."

Shadow gazed to the sky. "We used to look at the stars from ARK..."

"She's waiting for you, you know."

"What?" Shadow looked at Talula. "How do you know?"

"Living in the jungles and the mountains... it's a lonely existence sometimes, even with a friend living close by. You have to be able to look inside yourself to find a reason to go on. Somehow, through all this... I've become like an _itako,_ a shaman, someone who sees the spiritual world..." Talula smiled. "Sometimes, I can see them... I can see my parents.

"I think it's the power of the Chaos Emeralds... it's a kind of enlightenment... do you know what I mean?"

"I... I think so..." Shadow looked at Talula. "I almost died... but Chaos Control sent me back."

Talula nodded. "So, sometimes, when I'm focusing... I can _see_ things... things that don't seem to be part of this realm."

Shadow thought. "But... you really think that... she's waiting...? Have you ever seen her?"

The jungle hedgehog smiled sadly. "I'm afraid not. But she's waiting, of course. Why wouldn't she?"

"But... then... I really am the real Shadow, aren't I?"

"Of course you're the real Shadow. You are who you are."

"I... hm." Shadow turned away.

Suddenly, a dull sound, almost like a roar, broke the silence.

"What's that?" Talula asked, rather startled. Shadow looked up, for he'd heard that sound before...

_An airplane..._

Even though it was dark, the moon was shining brightly... just brightly enough so that Shadow could see...

_...the reflection of the moonlight on a metal object..._

"It's Tails," Shadow said.

"Tails?"

-

It was night. And probably way too dark to be flying a plane.

But it didn't matter.

Shadow was somewhere down below.

Tails looked over the side of the airplane. Over the roar of the engine, he yelled, "Hey, do you guys see him?"

Amy shook her head. "Nope... it's too dark."

"It's like trying to find a black cat in a coal cellar," Rouge muttered.

"What was that?" Tails asked.

"Nothing!" Rouge screamed, frustrated.

From below, Shadow watched as the Tornado flew over the treetops. "I wonder if they're looking for me?" he asked out loud.

"Can we get them to notice us?" Talula asked.

Shadow watched the airplane grow closer. "Maybe..."

Meanwhile, Rouge sighed. "Maybe we should just land and pick up the search tomorrow morning."

Tails shook his head. "How do we know that Shadow'll stay in the same place?"

"And why can't you use that GPS thing to find him?" Rouge snapped.

"It'll only find the general area he's in... I put it together pretty quickly, all right? It can't pinpoint him."

Suddenly, a bright flash of lightning shot up, a bit in the distance. Tails, Amy, and Rouge jumped.

"Wh... what the heck was _that?!"_ Rouge shrieked.

Tails turned the airplane towards where the lightning had gone up. A few minutes later, another bright flash lit up the sky. This time, it was accompanied by a shout.

"_Chaos Spear!"_

Rouge grinned. "I'd know that voice anywhere. Take us down, Tails!"

"Right!" The plane began to land.

On the ground, Shadow smiled, breathing heavily. "I guess that got their attention."

Talula was standing quite a ways away, a bit startled. "Wow..."

Shadow turned to her. "You can see another world with _your_ power... well, that's what mine does." Talula laughed weakly.

As the plane landed, Shadow and Talula walked cautiously up to it.

Rouge grinned, waved, and hopped out of the plane, using her own wings to carry her safely to the ground.

"Well, Shadow... long time no see?"

Shadow nodded.

Amy squealed, "Shadow! We've been looking all over for you!" Tails smiled.

Rouge's expression suddenly became serious. "Shadow, we've got to go. Sonic's... Sonic's with G.U.N. He's at their headquarters."

Shadow's insides froze. "What...?"

Rouge shook her head. "Don't ask me what that idiot was thinking, but he went with them..." Rouge looked behind Shadow. "Oh, Talula, hi. Did you find the professor all right?"

Talula nodded. "He's staying with me, back at my house..." She motioned towards the side of the cliff.

Shadow looked at Tails. "We've got to find Sonic. There's no telling what G.U.N. might do to him."

Tails nodded. "I'm a little worried, myself."

As Amy, Tails, Rouge, and Shadow piled into the Tornado, Shadow waved.

"Tell the professor I said... thanks."

"I will," Talula called back, over the roar of the engine.

Tails started up the plane. The small craft zoomed the length of the valley, then took off.

As Talula watched the plane take off, she felt a presence nearby.

Turning, she found herself 'face-to-face' with a spirit. The spirit of an Echidna girl.

"Did I do all right...?" Talula asked nervously.

"You did fine," Tikal said.

Talula smiled, a bit relieved. "I didn't really know what to say to him... but, it's true... the Chaos Energy in him feels... I don't know how to describe it, it's almost as if it's... corrupted, somehow."

Tikal nodded sadly. "That's what came of years of sorrow... and it will take longer still for him to heal. But you did well."

Talula nodded as Tikal faded into the darkness.

-

As she walked back to her house, Talula remembered that night, not too long ago...

Tikal had come to her. At first, it didn't seem any different from when Talula was visited by any other spirit, but when Tikal had taken on a real form...

"_Talula... soon, Rouge's friend will appear."_

"_Shadow?"_

"Yes, he's the one. Listen... can you help me?"

_  
"Of course. What do you need?"  
_

"_Shadow's spirit is badly hurt. Even he may not realize the depth of his injury. I need you to help heal his soul."_

"_How do I do that...?"_

"_Reassure him. Tell him... that his friend is waiting for him."_

"_His friend...?"_

"_A spirit. A girl, named Maria. She's waiting for him."_

"_I see..."_

"_His soul contains Chaos Energy, like yours. But his energy is different... you will see when you meet him._

"_Listen... there are things that he's meant to do. But I cannot tell if he will be able to do them without help. You must reassure him that he is who he thinks he is._

"_All of us must help him heal..."_

'_I hope I've done what you needed, Tikal,'_ Talula thought.

'_I hope you'll be okay...'_


	25. A Battle of Wits

One day.

Just _one day. Twenty-four hours._

And that blasted hedgehog was attempting to make as much trouble as it possibly could from where it was confined.

It couldn't do much, that was true. But ever since Dasendo had let the hedgehog know that _he_ knew that it wasn't Project: Shadow, it had been nothing but frustration from then on.

Making faces at the observance camera... _smashing_ the observance camera...

When workers had come to replace the shattered object, the hedgehog refused to be hit by tranquilizer darts. It was just _too fast._

And it was smart. The same trick wouldn't fool that hedgehog twice.

So, in order to get anything done, it was necessary to release a tranquilizer in gas form into the hedgehog's enclosure. Even so, the hedgehog simply refused to breathe until he passed out (in which case, he ended up breathing the tranquilizer anyway).

And, since the hedgehog had then methodically searched out and destroyed just about everything in the room, sans his air vent, observing the hedgehog was nearly impossible without knocking him out.

To save his employees any more trouble, Dasendo had ordered that the hedgehog be left in confinement, and any more interaction with it was limited to the delivering of its meals. Even so, few people volunteered for the job.

Back in his prison, Sonic was quite pleased with himself.

-

Dasendo, meanwhile, was quietly working on analyzing the energy readings he had received from Sonic.

It was a start, that was true. But it wasn't anywhere near enough to _finish._

Finish what?

Well... to be honest, it didn't really have a name... it was always simply referred to as _it. _Or _the project._

But Dasendo had always had a name in mind for it, even if it wasn't completely accurate.

_Chaos Reversal._

However, in order to reverse Chaos, one must first know the _definition_ of Chaos...

...which was where progress had been halted.

The capture of the blue hedgehog had been useful, no doubt. But isolating the Chaos Energy was going to be a long process.

'_If only it had been Project: Shadow... _anything _that had once been part of Project: Shadow..._

'_The concentration of Chaos Energy would have been much greater. And Chaos Reversal would have been that much closer to being completed...'_

But it was no good thinking about what might have been. It was far more important to focus on what he had at the moment.

Chaos Energy had one frequency in its pure form. A very high frequency, with very short wavelengths. And it was common knowledge that the higher the frequency, the more destructive the wave.

Chaos Energy was known to be highly destructive. Something that had been known since Station Square had been attacked by a giant water monster, many months before.

And hadn't the monster's name been Chaos?

Dasendo sighed, then almost absentmindedly inserted a videotape into a nearby VCR. Flipping on the television, he watched what had been a source of inspiration for months now...

Chaos. Its body flooding all of Station Square, destroying what had been a thriving, growing city.

But of more importance...

...a small, glowing, golden blur that was flying around Chaos' head...

...a golden hedgehog.

Both creatures had absorbed the energy from the Chaos Emeralds.

It couldn't have been Project: Shadow, for at that time it had still been frozen, right there in Dasendo's former base.

Was it Sonic?

Almost certainly... but, as Dasendo had learned, it was never safe to assume anything.

The sight of the space colony, falling... burning...

A reptilian creature, pulling the colony with it to its demise...

And this time, _two_ hedgehogs fighting back.

One was golden, the same hedgehog from before. And the second was silver.

Silver with red streaks.

_That one_ was Project: Shadow.

No doubt.

And, as the videotape showed, after the red lizard was defeated, the silver hedgehog had fallen to Earth, certainly to its demise.

But it had disappeared in a large flash of light, almost as if it were a meteor.

Was that to be expected? For the hedgehog to go up in a sudden spontaneous combustion?

But _how_ then, did it manage to reappear on Earth? For there was no recorded evidence of it progressing through the atmosphere.

Dasendo scowled.

Could the hedgehog have really been...

...immortal...?

And if the golden hedgehog, who had turned up on both occasions, was really the troublesome mammal currently imprisoned in the base, what answers could lie with it?

Dasendo sighed.

A good night's sleep had helped with the stress that came with dealing with the hedgehog.

The leader of G.U.N. felt ready to tackle it once more.

-

Sonic sat against the wall of his prison, eyes half-closed, facing the doorway. The door alone was the only thing that wasn't completely transparent... making it almost impossible to know who was coming in without letting _them_ know that you were watching.

But he could always tell when someone was coming.

Even through the water, the sound of the bridge extending was always noticeable. And when the door was open, Sonic could see that a small, electronic gadget was attached to the wall of the bridge. When a card was swiped through it, the door to his cell would unlock.

Sonic sighed. Would Tails be able to decode the thing from where he stood? Or would they have to obtain a card first, like how Amy had when she, as ironic as it had seemed, rescued him from Prison Island?

But now, a noise tickled his half-asleep ears.

Someone was crossing the bridge.

Again.

Feeling something like the troll who could always hear the goats cross his bridge, Sonic smirked as he waited for his "prey" to approach him. It had been fun, messing with the people who tried to make him submit to their will.

Because no one, but _no one,_ ever succeeded at forcing Sonic to yield to anyone's will but his own.

As the card was swiped and the door unlocked, Sonic grinned up at who else, but Dasendo.

Dasendo bit his lip as he entered the small room. Even though he knew almost nothing of the brash hedgehog before him, he knew enough to understand that an impudent grin could be nothing but trouble for himself...

"Hey, old man. What are you going to try _this_ time?" Sonic casually asked. "Not like your plans are going to _work_ or anything."

Dasendo inwardly sighed. Trying to keep a positive approach, he answered, "Well, I just came down to... you know, talk."

"About what?"

"Well... whatever you want."

'_Stupid old fool,' _Sonic thought. _'Trying to get me to trust you, huh? Well, it ain't working, old-timer.'_

"When do you think I can go?" Sonic asked.

"Well... not for a while. But, if you cooperate, you might be able to leave a little sooner than that," Dasendo lied, knowing that he never planned to let the hedgehog go.

"I'd like to get out of here as soon as possible," Sonic shrugged. "I've got friends waiting out there for me... they don't get too happy when I'm gone long," he added, thinking of Amy.

"Really? And who would these friends of yours be?" Dasendo asked. Sonic saw a glint in the old man's eyes.

'_Huh... can't let him know that, now, can we?' _"Oh, just some people I met while I was traveling. No one in particular."

"Oh... I see." Knowing that he was expecting too much, too soon, Dasendo tried to back away from questions that seemed overly interrogative. "Well... where do you come from? Do you live around here, in the jungle?"

"Eh, no, not really. You saw me back at the beach, I'm a pretty fast runner. Don't have a family or anything, so my life's pretty much go wherever I want, do what I want to do." Sonic shrugged. "Which is why I'm aching to get out of here, I guess."

"Interesting. How old are you?"

Sonic grinned. "A heck of a lot younger than you."

Dasendo smiled back grimly. "And a lot cheekier, too."

Sonic turned away. "Yeah, I've gotten that before. It's just, I can't imagine growing up to be someone, say, your age."

Dasendo nodded, seeing how this conversation could turn into something he could profit from. "Have you ever heard of Project: Shadow?"

"Maybe." Sonic looked at Dasendo from the corner of his eye. "Clarify."

"Project: Shadow was an experiment funded by G.U.N. in order to discover immortality," Dasendo explained. "If the secret to immortality was discovered, then you'd never have to grow old."

"Really?" Sonic raised an eyebrow, only half-pretending to be interested. "Tell me more."

"I'll tell you more if you tell me what you know about Project: Shadow. Don't pretend that you haven't heard of it... after all, we mistook you for it," Dasendo said, smiling. "During the days before the ARK incident, remember?"

Sonic looked up at the old man. "Oh, yeah... I didn't see you that time, though."

Dasendo shrugged. "No, you escaped within a day that time... less than a day, if I remember correctly. Not many people realized that you were being held in the base that time. However," Dasendo motioned to the cell around them, "you can see that our jungle base was toughened up a bit for your arrival. So, tell me what you really know about Project: Shadow. And I'll know if you're lying," Dasendo warned him. "You just posed as Project: Shadow a day ago. And, if I'm not mistaken, you turned down a Presidential award because of this Shadow, not long after you returned from space."

'_Darn... I forgot about that,'_ Sonic said. He sighed, as if in defeat.

"All right, you win. I did know Shadow. And he was a pretty good guy, even if we did nearly kill each other. Twice," Sonic added.

Then, his eyes drooped sadly. "Too bad he's gone."

"Gone? What do you mean, gone?" Dasendo asked. "He was there, the day we attacked you. Where could he be gone to?"

Sonic sighed. "You see, almost a week ago, he disappeared from where he was staying, outside of Station Square. Well, while I was searching for him, I found out that he'd run right out into the middle of the street, and, well..." Sonic sighed again, although he was trying not to act _too_ dramatic. He didn't want to get the old man suspicious...

Dasendo stared at the hedgehog. "But, surely, it's not dead."

Sonic shook his head. "Let's put it this way... I saw him that morning. And that was the last time I saw him alive."

The old man shook his head in disbelief. "It couldn't be. The hedgehog survived a fall through the atmosphere. He... it couldn't have died just from being hit by a car! You're lying."

Sonic looked the old man in the eyes. "I'm not lying," he said, quite truthfully. For he wasn't.

'_It's true. Shadow _did _run right out into the street. And that morning _was_ the last time I saw him, alive or not. For all I know, he really could be dead.'_

Focusing as hard as he could on those single shards of truth, Sonic looked Dasendo straight in the eyes. "I'm not lying," he repeated.

Even though that statement had been said twice, something that usually meant that the speaker _was_ lying, Dasendo could find no trace of deceit in the hedgehog's eyes. Although somewhat shaken by the hedgehog's apparent lack of grief, Dasendo decided that the session had run long enough.

As he stood up, Dasendo looked back towards Sonic. "I take it that you two weren't very close?" he asked.

Sonic shrugged. "Shaky relationship, you could say. Like I said, we about killed each other twice."

Dasendo paused. "When he showed up at the beach, you seemed like pretty good friends."

"Really?" Sonic raised an eyebrow, as if in interest. "If you must know the truth... well, let's just say that 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend'... you know."

"Is that why were you working together to defeat the lizard during the ARK incident?"

"Yeah. Pretty much." Sonic was getting tired of thinking up excuses for all of these questions...

"I see. Thank you." Dasendo walked out the door. As it closed, the electric bolts snapped into place.

Sonic didn't budge. This wasn't the right time to escape. Even if he did manage to get out, there wouldn't be anyone to guide him out of the building, not to mention the jungle.

He'd know when the right time to escape was... when it came.

Meanwhile, on the outside of the door, Dasendo smiled.

That hedgehog hadn't meant to give away that information.

So, the two weren't as close as they had seemed. Oh, well.

And Project: Shadow was dead. A devastating loss, if it was true, considering all that it could have added to "Chaos Reversal." Dasendo clenched the card key he held in his fist, slightly frustrated by the fact.

But one thing had made up for it.

A vital fact had been exposed.

Sonic had been that golden hedgehog.

Sonic possibly held the same secrets...

...that the late Project: Shadow had.

By this time in the morning, most of the workers had begun another day of busy research for their organization.

Dasendo walked into the lab, lying the card key down on a table near the entrance, in case anyone else wanted to try dealing with the hedgehog.

Standing before his employees, he gave a short morning announcement.

"Research on the hedgehog held in cell 1-A will be increased. I have firm evidence that this hedgehog is very similar, if not near identical, to Project: Shadow.

"Also... if anyone is able to obtain a Chaos Emerald, they will be rewarded greatly."

As Dasendo retreated to his room, he thought better than to announce the death of Project: Shadow. He didn't want the general morale of the company any lower than it needed to be.

Meanwhile, Sonic laid his head back against the wall once more.

There really wasn't anything to do...

...not until Tails got there.

Then the fun would start.


	26. Stay in the Shadows

"You guys awake?"

Rouge stirred, blinking sleepily. As she came to her senses, she wondered briefly where she was, then realized that she was still flying in the Tornado. Looking around, she saw Amy, still half-asleep, and Shadow, who looked as though he'd been up for quite a while.

Turning to Tails, she asked over the roar of the engine, "Have you been up all night?"

Tails turned, grinning. "Well... I put the Tornado on autopilot for a while. It's okay, I'm used to lack of sleep... it comes from traveling with Sonic."

Rouge nodded, not really taking in anything he was saying. "Uh-huh."

Amy yawned. "Where are we?"

"In the Tornado," Tails answered matter-of-factly. Rouge sighed.

"Well, then, _where are we in relation to Sonic?!"_ she snapped.

"Oh!" Tails said, perking up slightly. "Well, I'd say..." he looked briefly at his laptop, "...we're just about there."

Rouge groaned. "Can that be any more vague?"

"Okay... about seventy more miles. Would you like me to go faster?" Tails asked.

"_What do you think?"_ Rouge said flatly.

"Okay, fine..." Tails adjusted some of the controls...

Amy was sleepily rubbing her eyes when a sudden burst of wind hit her straight in the face. "Wah! Tails! Slow down!" she cried.

Tails looked back and realized that, perhaps, the others were not so used to some wind in the face as he was. Pressing a button, he watched as a clear, glass windshield extended from the back of the airplane and covered the passenger seats.

"Better?" Tails asked, not having to shout this time.

Amy nodded happily. "Thank you, Tails!"

Rouge tapped the windshield. "Genius, Tails."

Tails blushed. "It's nothing... the hard part was getting it to fold up so that it could be stored easily..."

Rouge grinned. "I'm telling you, kid, you're going to make a name for yourself someday." Tails laughed.

"Well, I'd better focus on rescuing Sonic before I think about being famous."

Amy gasped. "Oh... Sonic! I almost forgot! Oh..." Her normally happy eyes became shrouded in worry.

Rouge turned and tried to cheer the hedgehog girl up. "Don't worry. I'm sure Sonic knew what he was getting into when he went with them," she said, trying to be comforting. "He'll be all right."

Tails chimed in, "He's been in worse spots than this before. It's not like we're dealing with Eggman here."

Rouge nodded, but out of the corner of her eye she could see Shadow.

His brows were furrowed... and Rouge knew what he was thinking.

'_It's true. It isn't like we're dealing with Eggman. We're dealing with something that's potentially far more dangerous... Eggman's predictable. Those machines might always change, but we know what he's after. But what is _G.U.N._ really after? And what are they willing to do to get it?'_

The remaining minutes seemed to drag on forever, until Tails finally said,

"We're here."

-

"Well, okay, not exactly _there,_ but you understand, right?"

Tails rubbed the back of his head self-consciously as Amy glared at him. "I'm sorry! I had to land out here... for security reasons, you know? It's not like we can just pull up to their front door and expect them to not do anything!"

Rouge nodded. "You have to understand, Amy. It's for our own safety."

Amy sank to the ground, whining, "But why do we have to walk the rest of the way there?!"

"Actually, Amy... I've been meaning to say something to you," Rouge admitted. "But let me explain some things to the others first."

Gathering the others around her, the white bat spoke quickly.

"Okay, you guys. There's a few things I've learned as a government agent, and one is to be _extremely careful. _Where there are secrets, there will be traps."

"Don't you mean, 'where there are jewels'?" Shadow cut in, smirking.

"Oh, shut up! But you guys be careful. G.U.N. is sure to have motion-sensor traps, or at least hidden cameras." Rouge looked around. "In a place like this, they could be just about anywhere."

Amy whimpered nervously. "What's going to happen if we get caught?"

Rouge shook her head. "Well... we'll just try not to, all right?

"Okay, second, avoiding traps is important, but avoiding people is even more so. It's not like we're going undercover here; we're literally breaking into this place. So be on your guard.

"Third, move quickly and quietly. Stealth is what's really important here."

Rouge turned to Amy. "And Amy... I'm sorry. You'd be a good ally to have around if the situation turned to flat-out fighting, but you're honestly not the best person to have around if we're trying to avoid contact with others. So I'm not going to increase the risk of having this mission fail by bringing you along."

Amy looked shocked. "What... what do you mean, I can't come...?"

Rouge bit her lip. "Well... you're not that good at running, and I doubt you'd be able to move around without making too much noise... I'm really sorry, Amy. I know how much you want to help rescue Sonic," she said, seeing Amy's downcast face, "but we can't bring you along. I mean, just to get you the next, what, two miles to G.U.N.'s base, we'd probably have to have Shadow carry you or something."

Rouge thought. "But there _is_ something we can have you do, Amy."

Amy looked up. "What?! I'll do anything! I just want to help Sonic!"

Rouge grinned. "Can you do guard duty?

"Guard duty?"

Rouge walked up to the Tornado. "Tails, is there anything important you got stored in this thing?"

Tails shrugged. "Not much... I'm bringing my laptop with me," he said, holding up his laptop case, which was strapped around his shoulder. Suddenly he remembered. "The fake Chaos Emerald's in there, too. Should we bring it with us?" he asked.

Amy gasped, then looked at Shadow angrily. "You could have used the Emerald for Chaos Control! And we could have _been_ here last night!"

Shadow raised an eyebrow. "I didn't know you had a Chaos Emerald with you."

"Not a _real_ Chaos Emerald," Tails interrupted. "A fake one."

Rouge was thinking. "Hey, Shadow... Sonic was able to use Chaos Control with that Emerald, wasn't he?" Shadow nodded. "Maybe we should bring it with us... you could use Chaos Control to get us closer to Sonic if we find him."

"Um..." Tails had shifted rather uncomfortably. Rouge looked at him.

"What's the trouble?" she asked, a bit irritated. "You got a problem with that idea?"

"Um... Shadow's got Chaos Energy in him, right?" Tails asked. Shadow nodded.

Rouge raised an eyebrow. "You knew about that all along?"

Shadow shrugged. "Not really. I was talking to the professor yesterday, and he explained some things to me... about how I was created..."

Rouge smiled. "I'll have to ask you some questions when this is all over. Anyway," she turned to Tails, "yeah, Shadow's probably got some Chaos Energy in him. What about it?"

"Well..." Tails looked up apologetically. "...I designed the fake Emerald to destroy the Eclipse Cannon... you see, the fake Emerald has the same wavelength and properties as a real Emerald, but the difference is that when the fake Emerald comes into contact with the real ones, ah... it reverses their energy fields, causing, ah... an explosion."

Rouge stood still, staring at Tails, then glanced towards the Tornado. "Well... at least we know Sonic doesn't have _that_ much Chaos Energy in him..."

Shadow walked to the Tornado calmly, then jumped in.

"Shadow, what are you _doing?!"_ Rouge yelled, dashing after him, catching him digging around the pilot's seat. "You _want_ to explode?!"

Shadow picked up a box. "Is this it?" he called down to Tails. The kitsune nodded. Shadow tossed the box to Rouge, then got out of the plane.

"Even if I'm not able to utilize the fake Emerald, Sonic is," Shadow said, starting to head off toward G.U.N.'s base. "And if the situation calls for it...

"...I'll risk the chance. I've cheated death once. Why shouldn't I be able to do it again?"

Rouge looked at Amy. "Looks like we're taking the Emerald with us. You'll watch the Tornado?"

Amy nodded.

Rouge took to the air, hurrying after Shadow, and Tails did likewise.

"See you later," Amy said, waving.

Tails grinned. "Next time you see us, we'll have Sonic back."

Amy smiled. "I don't doubt it. Hurry, okay?" Tails nodded, then took off after Rouge and Shadow.

The pink hedgehog watched until her friends were out of sight.

"Good luck, guys..."

-

Rouge looked ahead, watching Shadow.

Sighing, she flew up to him, until she was only about a foot behind him.

"Shadow... what did the professor tell you?"

"...mainly about what's been going on with him since he came down from ARK. I... kind of stopped him before he could say much about me."

"Did he tell you about what G.U.N.'s... planning?"

"Planning? No. Why?"

"Shadow..." Rouge sighed. "G.U.N. was trying to create some sort of machine. That's why they kidnapped the professor. They're trying to create something that will... cancel out Chaos Energy. I have a feeling it was designed specifically to capture you."

Shadow kept running, unresponsive.

Rouge added, "I don't know how good of an idea it is for you to come with us, Shadow... what if they have this thing completed? You don't want to be sealed away again, do you? It's not too late to turn back."

No response.

"Well, _I_ don't want you to be sealed away, okay?! Is that a good enough reason for you?!"

Shadow finally spoke.

"I'm not going to turn back, and I'm not going to be sealed away. I have something to settle with G.U.N., and I won't stop until it's over."

The two continued on their path silently, until Shadow said something, barely above a whisper.

"Rouge..."

"Yeah?"

"...you told me, a long time ago, that I wasn't the real Shadow. Do you still believe that?"

Rouge felt a pang of sadness. "Oh, Shadow... it doesn't matter where you were created... not anymore... back then, I just..." Sighing, she looked away, watching the numerous trees as they passed.

However, ignoring the question didn't help. "...you thought I never met Maria. You thought my memories were false. Tell me, why did you say that?"

Rouge's forehead wrinkled in regret. "Well... I just didn't think it'd be possible, for someone to survive being sent from ARK and land on Earth, the way you did..."

"What do you mean, 'the way I did'?"

"Project: Shadow was found in a crater, near G.U.N.'s base, amid the wreckage of an escape capsule. I just... when I read that in G.U.N.'s report, and it didn't mention whether Project: Shadow was alive or not... I just assumed..."

Shadow looked at the white bat, now flying right next to him. "Why do you refer to me as Project: Shadow?"

"I'm sorry," she said, looking at the ground. "It just seems... strange, to talk about you that way."

"Hm." Shadow looked away.

"If it makes you feel any better... when I saw you recover from your fall from ARK, any doubts I had about you were gone," Rouge said. "I guess it's the Chaos Energy in you that keeps you alive, huh?"

Shadow smiled grimly. "Sonic's got a strong will to live... that's what keeps him going. I don't even try, but I get through anyway. Is the power of Chaos a blessing... or a curse?"

The two looked at each other briefly, then turned away, both absorbed in their own thoughts.

But Rouge couldn't help but think...

'_Shadow..._

'_Is this why you're so willing to risk bringing the fake Emerald? Is it not just that you have confidence in what your body can take...?_

'_...you don't want to be destroyed..._

'_...do you?'_

But Shadow's expression, as serious as it was, held no answers.

Rouge sighed, then dropped back until she was next to Tails. "How much farther?"

Flipping open his laptop, the kitsune answered, "About half a mile more. We'd better be careful from here on."

Rouge grinned. "Good boy. I'll make a secret agent of you yet." Tails laughed nervously.

Suddenly, the two caught up with Shadow, who had halted. "What's going on?" Tails asked.

"Fence," Shadow said, motioning to the ten-foot wire fence blocking their way.

"What?" Tails walked up to the fence. He was about to touch it, when Rouge pulled him back.

"Not a good idea," she said. "Might be electrocuted. Or, touching it might set off an alarm somewhere." She frowned. "Might be have motion sensors on it, too..."

"So, what are we supposed to do then? Pretend it's not there and walk straight through it?" Shadow snapped.

Rouge sighed. "Well... I guess we're going to have to take a risk, then... of course, this whole mission just _screams_ 'risk,' so... oh well. Okay, Shadow, grab my wrists."

"What?" As Rouge rose into the air, the plan became clear. "Oh... I see."

Grabbing each others' wrists, Rouge lifted Shadow into the air and slowly descended on the other side of the fence, Tails following soon after.

Motioning for the others to be quiet, Rouge listened carefully. "Well, I don't hear a siren," she said, "but we'd better move out quickly. Just in case they have an alarm back at their base."

"Quit being so paranoid," Shadow muttered.

"Hey, I've learned that being paranoid can save someone's butt, so you just shut up and listen to me," Rouge snapped. "Now let's get going!" Turning to Tails, she asked, "So, which way to their base?"

Tails studied the laptop carefully before pointing out a direction. "About half a mile in that direction."

"All right, guys, this is it," Rouge said, spreading her wings. "All or nothing. We're not going to have a second chance here. You ready?"

"Yep," Tails nodded energetically. Shadow gave just a faint hint of a nod.

"All right then."

-

Much to Rouge's relief (although a hint of suspicion was still burning), the half-mile trip was uneventful. However, she was stumped when the trek appeared to end at a massive wall of rock.

"What now?" she sighed.

Tails shook his head. "According to the signal I'm picking up, Sonic's somewhere in there... but how?"

"G.U.N.'s base is probably built inside that cliff," Shadow said. "So there's got to be a way in."

Tails was about to approach the wall when Rouge pulled him back. "Must I show you _everything?"_ she groaned.

Jumping up into a nearby tree, Rouge slipped something over her eye.

"What's that?" Tails asked.

"It's a scope... helps me to see things better than with my eyes alone," she said quickly. Scanning the trees, she spotted what she was looking for.

Dashing across the branches to one, she smashed something, knocking it out of the tree.

"A camera," Tails gasped, understanding.

Shadow and Tails waited while Rouge systematically destroyed each camera in the vicinity.

When she dropped to the ground, she grinned and motioned for them to proceed. "It's safe now."

Tails frowned as he approached the rock wall. "I still don't see how we can get in... you think there's a cave or something nearby?"

Shadow walked up to the rock wall and tapped it. He walked up and down the wall, examining it.

"So?" Rouge said when he turned to face them.

Shadow pointed to one part of the wall. As Rouge stepped up to it, she nodded.

A thin crack, running straight up through the rock, was barely visible.

"It runs in a straight line... so someone probably cut through the rock. Look hard enough and you'll find the other side of the door," Shadow said quietly.

"Good thinking..." Rouge said. "But it doesn't help if we can't get inside."

"You think there's some kind of control out here? Or does the door only open from the inside?" Tails wondered.

Rouge thought, then slipped the scope back on. Looking around carefully, she suddenly smiled and walked up to a tree.

"Right here." She handed the scope to Tails, who put it on. "See right there?" She pointed to a spot on the tree, about four feet off the ground.

"Yeah, I see it... how come it's showing up different than the rest of the tree?"

"Because it's made of metal," Rouge grinned, pulling open the compartment. Inside was a number pad.

"Oh! I see..." Tails said, taking the scope off and handing it back to Rouge. "Would you know the combination?"

"Not a clue," Rouge said, rolling her eyes.

"Well... it can't be _too _hard to do this," Tails said, setting down his laptop case. Opening it up, he pulled out a small screwdriver set.

Rouge raised an eyebrow. "And you carry that everywhere?"

"It's for fixing the laptop... I keep it in the bag," Tails said. Walking up to the number pad, he quickly unscrewed it and set about examining the wires.

"I'm beginning to see how you were able to deactivate that missile," Rouge commented.

"Thanks..." Tails looked at the gadget a bit, then smiled.

"Well... for a secret military organization, their security seems a bit... simple," he said, about to touch two wires together.

"Shadow, get back here," Rouge said. "Okay, you guys, when Tails opens the door..."

-

Luckily for the three, G.U.N. didn't post live guards at the doors... Dasendo had been confident in the numerous cameras guarding the base. However, every once in a while one would be broken, and someone would usually be sent out to fix it.

Today, when _each one_ of the cameras had been disconnected, a small team of people was sent out to fix them. It hadn't been the first time this had happened, though, so the team had chalked it up to being the jungle birds, prone to attacking metallic objects.

As luck would have had it, just as they were approaching the door to the base, it opened up.

Shrugging, and figuring that someone in the control room had opened the door for them, they strolled out...

...not noticing the three intruders hiding by the side of the path, just in case someone had been passing by.

"Let's go," Rouge said under her breath as soon as the G.U.N. workers had passed.

The three entered G.U.N.'s base as quietly as possible, heading down the hallway, staying in the shadows.


	27. Rescue Accomplished

To Petsuchos Isis: Ehehe. Well... I wouldn't call it _sneaking,_ really... (grin) But actually, a lot of what was in the past chapter did come from real-life experiences. No, I'm not really a spy or anything (although a fanfiction writer would be a good disguise, eh?)

(Long-winded explanation that really doesn't belong here, yet I feel like writing it anyway): I have an after-school job (I'm a tech person, I fix computers) and as a result I'm usually walking around the various schools after classes are over. So sometimes it feels like I'm sneaking around. (giggles) And the fence was also drawn from real life... recently, we (the tech team) were gathering up old computers, and we put them all in the lunchroom. Around them, there was a 6 ft. fence (I made the fence taller in the fic.) No, it wasn't electrocuted, but it did have motion sensors and it would set off an alarm.

Well, enjoy the chapter, everyone!

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The halls of G.U.N.'s base were illuminated by artificial light, since the "underground" building could not be reached by the sun's rays.

Luckily for Rouge and her team of amateur spies, whoever had designed the base had apparently wanted to keep electricity usage to a minimum. The hallways were dim, just brightly lit enough for a human to see where it was going.

However, with the combined use of her scope and her natural sight, Rouge needed almost no light at all. She carefully led her team down the hallway, pausing every once in a while to listen for human activity. And, every so often, she would have Tails fly up to disconnect a camera silently.

Silence was the key. Rouge and Tails had taken to the air, and Shadow was trying his best to stay unnoticeable with Sonic's shoes.

Finally, innumerable cameras later, the dim hallway ended, opening up to another hallway running perpendicular to it. Rouge halted, her back to the wall, as she looked up and down the new hallway. She frowned.

"What is it?" Tails whispered.

Rouge shushed him, then pushed him in front of her so he could see the many doors running up and down the hall, each one with an object used for swiping a key card, similar to the one outside. "There's no way to get in from the outside without a card..." she whispered.

"Maybe I could open it up like I did with the outside door...?" Tails whispered.

"Hm... I don't know, you'd have to do it pretty quickly... wait, come this way!"

Suddenly, as if on cue, the door directly in front of them, labeled "Laboratory," hissed, about to open. Rouge grimaced, then grabbed Tails and Shadow. Almost dragging them to the dark left-hand hallway, she pulled them down, hunched against the wall, hiding in the shadows.

A few people walked out of the door, heading right by the three intruders.

Rouge, thinking quickly, dragged Tails and Shadow once more, through the open door and under a nearby table.

"Where are we?" Tails whispered.

"The door said 'Laboratory', didn't it?! Maybe we can find a way to Sonic from here. I won't risk opening a door when one will open for us." Abruptly, the door behind of them hissed shut.

Looking around from under the table, Rouge saw the feet of many people, all wearing lab coats, farther back in the room. She growled quietly, frustrated by not being able to see anything, then quickly stood until she could see level with the tabletop.

Her eyes caught something lying on the table...

...a key card.

Looking around, making sure no one was watching, she quickly snatched it and ducked down.

"Well, that solves one problem," Tails remarked. "We can get into the other doors now, right?"

"Right..." Rouge nodded slowly. "But now we got to get out of _here."_ She looked around. Although the huge room was echoing with the sounds of people talking, no one was standing near the door they had entered. _'Should we go back into the hallway? Or see if there's another door in here that leads farther into the base?'_

Rouge whispered to Tails and Shadow, "Stay here for a minute. Make sure no one sees you," she whispered. Looking around, Rouge darted out from under the table to the shadow of a file cabinet. As she searched out more hiding places, she happened to glance up at the ceiling.

The ceiling of the room was about twenty-five feet high. Around the top, there was a metal ledge that jutted out about four feet, probably for storage. Rouge grinned, looked around, then with a few strong flaps of her wings ascended towards that ledge.

She landed as quietly as she could, knowing that the metal tips of her boots would certainly make a little bit of noise. However, from that height no one could hear her, especially over the noise of the numerous conversations going on. Peering over the edge, she made sure that no one had seen her, then slowly made her way to the back of the room.

...there!

In the very back of the room was a large double-door. Slipping on her scope to get a better look, Rouge spotted another place to swipe a key card. She took out the one she had taken from the table. Would the same card work for that door? Or did that door even really lead anywhere? Was seeing what was on the other side worth the risk?

After weighing the consequences in her mind, Rouge shook her head. As curious as she was, it was better not to risk opening the door.

But maybe there was another way in.

'_There's got to be something else that leads into there, like an air vent or... something. This whole building's inside a mountain, they have to be able to circulate air through it,'_ Rouge thought as she made her way across the room. Sure enough, there was an air vent on the other side of the room. Putting her ear to it, Rouge could hear the sound of a fan.

Hm... no. Definitely not a good idea.

Sighing, Rouge made her way back to Tails and Shadow.

Meanwhile, Tails was getting nervous. Where had Rouge gone? After seeing her fly up to the ledge, there hadn't been any contact at all. Oh, if only they had radios or something...!

Sitting and waiting near Shadow hadn't helped the young fox's nerves at all. As much as Tails knew that the black hedgehog could be trusted, he still didn't like how Shadow seemed so cold and silent... such a stark contrast to Sonic.

"Where is she...?" Tails whispered, though not to anyone in particular. "I hope she's all right..."

"She'll be fine," Shadow whispered, startling Tails. "This is nothing compared to what she's been through before."

"Really?"

Shadow nodded, though avoiding eye contact. "When we were working with Eggman, she once stole three Chaos Emeralds from G.U.N. in only five minutes." Shadow smirked. "Then she defeated a guard robot. But then, I had to go and rescue her... she'd locked herself in one of the safes... we were pretty pressed for time that day."

"Why?"

Shadow finally looked at Tails. "Kids shouldn't ask so many questions. But the reason was because there was a bomb planted on the island."

"Oh! I remember that day," Tails said.

"Shh. You heard what Rouge said, be quiet."

"Sorry."

Suddenly, Rouge appeared under the table. "There's a door in the back, but there's too many people around. I think we should go back into the hallway and try our luck with the doors." She sighed. "I just wish we had a map of this place... But if we're going to go, we've got to get away from here fast." She looked around. "You don't know... maybe someone will hear the door open," she said as they crouched under the table. "Or maybe there's a camera in here somewhere..."

"It's no use worrying," Shadow finally pointed out. "If they come after us, they come after us. You're here to get Sonic out, so you'd better just focus on that."

Rouge glared at him. "This is why I usually do my job solo."

"Too bad."

"Ugh!" Rouge sighed in disgust. "Fine! Let's just go! But it won't do Sonic any good if we get caught too!"

"You guys, quiet!" Tails whispered. Then he realized something.

"Wait... maybe it would."

"What?" Rouge looked at Tails in astonishment. "You want to get locked up too?"

Tails shook his head. "No... if we got caught, they'd take us to where they keep their prisoners, right?"

Slowly, Rouge began to smile. "That idea's... not half bad. But who should we use as bait?" She looked at Shadow and Tails...

...and her eyes fell on the latter.

-

"Why me...?" Tails squeaked in terror. "Why not someone else...?!"

"Because you're young and you look fairly harmless," Rouge said, pushing him towards the back of the laboratory. She laughed. "You look as if you couldn't beat an egg."

"Hey, I'll have you know I beat Eggman before, all by myself!" Tails retorted. "A couple of times, actually."

"Yeah, with that mech you've got."

"Not just those times! I've beaten him by myself, and I mean _myself!"_ Tails said, a bit irritated. "That was the day I saved Station Square from the missile! I had to fight Eggman because Sonic wasn't around!"

"Really?" Rouge said, raising an eyebrow. "Well, if that's so, then you'll have no trouble getting away from those G.U.N. soldiers when I tell you to."

"What?"

"Listen, we'll have you walk the workers. Make a big noise, knock something over, just to grab their attention. When they try to catch you, and they will, start looking helpless or something, I don't know. They'll probably take you to the prison cells right away, to hold you for safekeeping. And don't give me that look," Rouge said, for Tails now had an extremely terrified look on his face, "Shadow and I will be right behind you. Now, when we get down there, we'll probably head by Sonic. When I feel that the time is right, I'll give the signal, and you escape. They won't send many soldiers down to take you to the cell, so we can probably knock them out without too much trouble. Then, we free Sonic, he uses the fake Emerald..."

"And we're home free," Tails finished.

"One problem," Shadow cut in. "Just because we free Sonic this time doesn't mean they'll try to capture him again. So how do you plan on preventing that?"

Rouge bit her lip. "Darn... I didn't think about that." She thought, then frowned. "But I said that our mission _this time_ was to save Sonic. We should retreat and regroup after this to shut down G.U.N. for good next time."

"How do you know that there'll _be_ a next time?" Shadow growled.

Pushing Tails forward, Rouge grinned "There you go, kid, you know what to do."

"Ohh..." Tails whimpered as he climbed to the top of a file cabinet and started rocking back and forth...

-

As one worker sat down for lunch, he struck up a conversation with another worker. "So, has anything new happened with that hedgehog in cell 1-A?"

"Nope... not that I've heard of. Did you hear, Dasendo left a key card out in case anyone wants to go try and work with it?"

"Heh. He's probably not going to get many volunteers."

"I know, that thing's a pain in the--"

_WHAM!!_

Every head in the room turned towards the noise...

...and saw a strange, two-tailed fox standing near a toppled file cabinet, its contents sprawled everywhere.

The fox's baby blue eyes were wide in fright, partially caused by the shock of the noise and by everyone staring at him.

There were a few seconds of startled silence...

...until one G.U.N. worker came to his senses and yelled, "Get him!"

Almost immediately, the entire room seemed to be rushing towards Tails.

The young fox was frozen to the spot, too scared to move. But when the huge crowd of people all rushed toward at once, he instinctively crouched down and pulled his hands over his head, whimpering.

One of the G.U.N. workers halted and motioned for the others to stop too. He kneeled down and took a closer look at the two-tailed fox. "Hey, guys, hold on a second. It's harmless." The worker frowned at the others. "Look, you made it cry."

Tails, still shaking terribly, opened his eyes and looked up. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to knock it over, I just climbed on top to get a better look at you, and it fell, and... oh my gosh, I'm sorry," he said, his voice quavering.

"Look, this one talks too!" the worker exclaimed. To Tails, he said, "Well, you're lucky it didn't fall on you," the G.U.N. worker said, laying a hand on Tails' head gently. "But what are we going to do with you?"

"We should probably put it with the other one until Dasendo hears about it," another worker said. "Actually, someone should go alert him now."

Someone volunteered for the job and ran off. The first worker helped Tails up. "Come on now, we've got somewhere for you to stay."

Tails wiped his face and sniffled. "Thank you very much..." Another worker left to escort Tails to where they were going to keep him.

As they exited the doors, Rouge and Shadow slipped out behind them.

Staying a good distance away, where they were out of eyesight but still within hearing range of the humans, Rouge whispered to Shadow, "Wow... Tails is pretty good at acting."

Shadow replied, "I'm not sure how much of that was actually _acting,_ Rouge..."

-

Sonic leaned back against the wall of his cell and sighed. It was awfully boring, just sitting and waiting for something to happen.

The blue hedgehog stretched his arms, then stood up and started jogging in place. '_If this were a normal day, I'd probably be out running around looking for adventure... or, as Amy puts it, looking for trouble,'_ he thought, smiling.

Sonic suddenly grinned to himself. '_Well, I _was_ out running and I _did_ find trouble. If only there was a way to run _out_ of trouble...'_

The blue hedgehog paused and thought about that last sentence.

'_Well, if I ran out of trouble... then life would be pretty dull.'_

Sonic shook his head to clear his thoughts. He shrugged, then kept jogging in place.

'_Maybe I should just take things into my own hands and break out by myself,'_ Sonic found himself thinking. _'I'll find my way back to Station Square sometime.'_

The blue hedgehog paused to do more stretches. _'Are the others even coming at all? Or do they figure I'll get home by myself?_

'_Huh... I wonder if I could get out of here by myself?'_

Sonic then looked through the wall... again. He made a disgusted face at the ten feet of water that separated him from freedom.

'_Then again... maybe it would be better if someone came for me. I mean, Tails would probably come if none of the others would. Probably Amy, too. She's such a hardheaded girl. Maybe when she gets a little older--'_

Sonic was snapped out of his thoughts by a sudden noise. Looking up, he walked to the side of the cell and put his ear to the wall.

Sure enough, there _was_ some sort of noise, even though it was somewhat muffled by the water.

Sonic stepped back, a bit confused. Hardly anyone ever came down here, and even if they did there wouldn't be _this_ much noise.

After a while, the noise died down, but a few seconds after things had turned quiet, Sonic heard the mechanical whirr of the bridge starting up. _'Now what?'_ he thought. _'Not that old man again...'_

Imagine his surprise when he saw three familiar faces appear in the far doorway.

"Tails? And Rouge and Shadow, too?!" Sonic jumped up, then pressed his face against the door, grinning.

The three rescuers quickly made their way down the bridge. Tails smiled at Sonic as he held up the key card. Sonic gave his best friend a thumbs up, then watched as Tails unlocked the door.

"See, you guys, it _was_ cell 1-A," Tails said as he walked in.

"Was that you guys who made all that noise?" Sonic asked, grinning. "What the heck was that?"

Tails laughed. "Well... we kind of knocked the people bringing us down here unconscious. It was the only way to get in here."

"We'd better get a move on. You heard what they said, they're bringing their leader down here pretty soon," Rouge cut in. "Tails, get that Emerald."

Tails dug inside his laptop bag before bringing out the small box. "It's the fake Chaos Emerald. Can you get us out of here with Chaos Control?" he asked Sonic.

"No sweat," Sonic grinned. Picking up the yellow Emerald, he twirled it around in the air a bit. "You guys ready?"

"Wait." Shadow stepped forward. As he looked up, Sonic sensed a strange air of determination about the black hedgehog.

"I'm sorry. I can't come."

"Huh? Why not?" Sonic asked.

Rouge looked at Shadow. "You might be right, you know... who knows how your body will react to the Emerald's energy..."

Shadow looked at the fake Emerald with apprehension. "It's not that..." He looked at Rouge. "I'm going. I have to destroy G.U.N. Today."

"Shadow, _no."_ Rouge walked up to the black hedgehog. "We talked about this already. Not today. Not now. We'll come back when we have a plan."

Shadow growled. "I don't care. I'm here. I'm inside G.U.N.'s base. Who knows when another chance like this will come?"

Rouge, her frustration building, finally snapped. Furious, she slapped Shadow right across the face.

"You listen to me, and you listen _well!_ You are _not_ going to attack them now! You know they're building something that's _specifically designed_ to take away your powers! If you go rushing into this, they've got the advantage! Next time, we'll bring everyone! Then we can help you out!" Rouge's voice had a hint of pleading in it. "We don't want you to be sealed away again. We don't want you to be destroyed. Shadow, please listen..."

Shadow didn't respond. He merely turned to walk back across the bridge.

"Maria wouldn't want you to get hurt."__

"You just shut up about Maria!" Shadow screamed, startling everyone. "How do you know what she would've wanted?! Even _I_ don't know what she wanted! That's why I'm in this mess in the first place!" The black hedgehog broke into a run. Before anyone could stop him, he'd run back out into the base...

"Shadow!" Sonic called, starting to reach out after him. Suddenly, he remembered that Tails and Rouge were still standing there. Holding the Chaos Control tightly...

_...he focused that familiar power into his hands..._

_...not into his body..._

_...not this time._

"_Chaos Control!!"_

A bright flash of light engulfed everything...

-

Rouge blinked, seeing spots. "Wh... where are we?"

Tails rubbed his eyes, then looked around. "I'm not sure... I can't see anything... Where are we, Sonic?" he asked.

But there was no response.

"Sonic?" Tails repeated, finally getting his vision back.

Nothing.

"Tails, we're by the fence," Rouge said. "But on which side?"

"Sonic..." Tails called disbelievingly. "Didn't he come along?"

Rouge flew up into the air. She spotted the mountain base, a little ways off in the distance. So they were outside the fence, then. Good.

"Rouge, I don't think Sonic came!" Tails cried.

Lightly, Rouge touched down. She shook her head. "Don't you see what he did? That little idiot ran off to help Shadow destroy G.U.N. from the inside out. Although who knows how they're going to do that," she added.

"Shouldn't we go and help them...?" Tails asked.

Rouge looked back. "We should... but I don't see how."

Tails thought. "I know... let's go back to the Tornado. We'll grab Amy, go back to the base, and start attacking from the outside."

Rouge nodded. "Okay. Come on."

The two took to the air and flew back to the Tornado...

-

"You shouldn't have come, Sonic. I don't need anyone to fight my battles for me."

"Hey, it's not just your battle anymore. Remember, they attacked me, too!"

"Yes, but... I have something to settle with them."

"Me too! Besides, how do you think you're going to do this on your own?"

"I'll find a way... somehow, I'll find a way."

Sonic grinned. "Finally getting your revenge, eh?"

Shadow looked down at his moving feet. "...I don't know..."

Sonic raised an eyebrow. "I thought that's why you were doing this."

A few seconds of silence passed. Finally, Shadow asked, "Sonic...

"Everyone on Earth has a right to be happy. Does that mean G.U.N. too?"

Sonic's grin faded. He thought. "Well... of course everyone has a right to be happy. But if that means that they've got to hurt someone else to be happy... then I don't think that's right." The blue hedgehog laughed. "I mean, if Eggman got his way, then that means a heck of a lot of people would be pretty miserable. Myself included. That's why I'm always fighting him, I guess. You just got to listen to what your heart says."

Shadow looked at Sonic. "...she wished for everyone to be happy. But I don't know how to do that..."

"Not everyone can be satisfied at the same time. Sometimes, you just have to find a compromise. You just have to find what feels right."

Shadow didn't respond, and the two hedgehogs headed further through the base...

.

.

.

* * *

.

.

.

A/N: Well, guys, I've finally got it down. There's going to be three chapters max after this one. (wails) You've all been so good...!

Well, I'll try to update soon, so please be patient! I'm sorry that I've taken so long to update recently.

-Ryuko


	28. Enter Chaos Reversal

_The sound of running feet..._

_Echoes in a metal hallway..._

_And once more, the military organization G.U.N. and the Ultimate Life Form, Shadow, clashing..._

_But as he made his way toward what he knew was yet another life-changing event for him..._

_Shadow knew that this time, the tables were turned._

_This time, it was G.U.N.'s turn..._

_... to experience defeat..._

_... to know pain._

.

.

.

"Hey," one of the lab workers remarked. "Where are those two guys who took that fox kid down to the prisoners' cells?"

"Still down there, I guess," another worker shrugged, gathering up the files that were strewn over the laboratory floor. "They haven't come back yet."

"Lazy bums," the first worker snorted. "Probably offered to take the fox kid down there just to get off of wor-- _what the heck's with the door?!"_

For at that moment, a strange phenomenon seemed to be occurring. The solid metal door appeared to have sparks coming through it, leaving numerous scorch marks... the middle of the door began to bubble...

All of the workers yelled and dove out of the way as a bolt of yellow lightning shot through the door and hit the wall on the opposite side of the room. Through the smoldering remains of the entryway, the lab workers saw the figures of two hedgehogs...

Sonic stared at what was left of the door. "Don't you think you could've knocked instead?" the blue hedgehog laughed, though he still quite startled. "That Chaos Spear packs a punch, huh?"

But Shadow wasn't in a joking mood. Sonic took one look at the cold expression in Shadow's eyes, fixed on the humans in the room, and knew that the black hedgehog meant business. Clutching the fake Emerald that he still held tight in his left hand, Sonic's expression also hardened.

Meanwhile, the workers had gotten over their initial shock. "The hedgehog's escaped!" someone yelled. "Call Dasendo!" Hands quickly reached for radios, but Shadow had already begun his attack.

"Chaos Spear!" Shadow yelled, scattering workers and blowing more holes in the wall and floor.

"Sonic Wind!" Sonic blasted an attack across the room, adding to the frenzy. "Hey, Shadow!" Sonic called. "Don't get too carried away, or you'll collapse the whole place!"

"Maybe that's not such a bad idea," Shadow replied grimly.

"_What is going on?!"_

Every head in the room turned to see Dasendo standing before the wreck of the door. He was furious.

"Who was the idiot who took that fox down to the prisoners' cells?! Didn't anyone think that it might have been a trick?!" the irate leader bellowed.

Then his eyes fell on Shadow.

Dasendo's expression shifted to shock, then to a seemingly calm state. However, he couldn't hide the gleam of delight in his eyes.

"Well, if it isn't Project: Shadow..." the old man smiled. "Alive and well, I see," he added, throwing a nasty glance at Sonic.

Sonic grinned. "It's not my fault you jumped to conclusions."

Dasendo pulled a radio off his belt. "Well, no matter. Project: Shadow has returned, and now it must be captured. Bring reinforcements to the main laboratory," he snapped into the radio.

"Captured?" Shadow growled as he stepped forward, his eyes narrowed. "I think not."

"Now, now, don't get too hasty," Dasendo said calmly, pulling an electric stun gun off his belt. Behind him, the sound of people gathering in the hallway could be heard. "We wouldn't want something to _happen_ to the greatest weapon ever created, right?"

"_Weapon?!"_ Shadow snarled, dashing toward Dasendo.

"Shadow, no! Wait!" Sonic yelled, following the black hedgehog. Suddenly, he felt someone's stun gun against him, hitting him in the left arm. A shock was sent through his whole body, and as he collapsed to the ground, numb, he managed to look up and saw a soldier come through the door...

... and graze Shadow with another stun gun.

Shadow also fell to the ground, but his fury wouldn't allow him to give up. Struggling to his feet, he glared at the humans in front of him.

Sonic groaned and also struggled to get up. However, as he moved, the fake Emerald fell from his grasp, clinking softly against the linoleum floor.

The worker who had used the stun gun walked forward. Much to Sonic's dismay, he picked up the fake Emerald. "Hey, take a look at this," the worker remarked.

Dasendo raised an eyebrow, then stepped past the struggling hedgehogs. Taking the Emerald in his hand, he casually commented, "This is a Chaos Emerald, isn't it?" The old man smiled craftily. "Bring the hedgehogs. It's time to test _It."_

A soldier roughly grabbed Sonic by the scruff of the neck and pulled him upright. Sonic winced. "Hey, take it easy!"

Shadow had already gotten to his feet. When a soldier approached him, the beginning of another Chaos Spear flickered dangerously in Shadow's hand. "You won't take me anywhere," Shadow growled.

"Restrain it," Dasendo ordered, and another handful of soldiers raced to heed the command. However, even though he was still a bit numb, Shadow's fighting spirit had not diminished. Furiously, he attacked.

To the soldiers, Shadow had turned from an angry hedgehog to a fury of flying kicks, fists, and spikes. The black and red blur landed blow upon blow on his opponents.

By this time, most of the feeling had returned to Sonic's limbs. Wrestling out of the grip of his captor, he turned...

... and found himself face-to-face with the laboratory workers, some of which were still armed with stun guns. The blue hedgehog, however, grinned and cracked his knuckles.

"Sonic Wind!"

The blast tore through the entire back half of the room, scattering humans and equipment alike. However, when the dust settled, Sonic glimpsed Dasendo, kneeling on the floor behind the safety of a fallen file cabinet, only a few feet from the back door...

... with the fake Emerald in his hand.

Shadow also spotted the old man, and started to run towards him. However, Dasendo took one look at the hedgehogs and sprinted to the door. He was already so close to it that he reached it in no time, quickly opening the door and slamming it shut.

Sonic sent another Sonic Wind at the remaining humans to keep them at bay, then joined Shadow.

"You know what he's got back there," Sonic panted. "That machine to take away your energy."

"I know..." Shadow muttered.

"... and I don't care. _Chaos Spear!"_

The door exploded, and the two hedgehogs dashed inside the room...

The first thing they saw was Dasendo, attaching some wires to the fake Emerald.

Wires... that ran into a strange machine.

For a few seconds, there was nothing to be heard but stunned silence. The silence was broken by Sonic.

"What the heck?"

The entire room, a square with sides of about twenty feet, was completely white and almost bare...

... save the machine itself, placed on a table against the back wall.

The machine was not very big; it was made up of a fairly simple-looking control pad, with what looked like a satellite transmitter on top. Sonic bristled; that was probably where the energy waves the machine created were released.

Lying on the table, with wires attached to each end, was the fake Emerald.

As soon as their eyes fell upon it, Sonic and Shadow both dashed for the Emerald...

But Dasendo, his hand ready, pressed a switch and activated the machine.

Sonic fell to the ground, weakened. "What was _that?!"_ the blue hedgehog sputtered as he tried to get upright. "Draining my energy! Not fair!"

"It's not really 'draining'," Dasendo corrected. "More like... neutralizing. And you're lucky. It seems that you have less pure Chaos Energy in you than we thought... You still have strength to talk, at any rate."

"Yeah, well, I've still got strength to fight, too," Sonic added as he managed to get to his knees. "What's the matter? Last time was a whole lot worse than this."

"Last time, we were only able to analyze _your_ energy field," Dasendo said coldly. "Therefore, we were only able to neutralize _you_ in particular. This time, we've hit the target: pure Chaos Energy."

"Whatever," Sonic stood up shakily. "We'll still kick your butt... right, Shadow?" Sonic turned to the black hedgehog...

... and was met with a shock.

Shadow was still limp on the ground, his breathing shallow, his eyes glazed over. Sonic stared in horror, then looked back at Dasendo. "What did you do to him?!"

Dasendo's expression remained cold. "Be grateful that the machine was not set to kill... merely to immobilize. Although, if Project: Shadow remains this way for too long, I expect that its heart rate will continue to slow down and its breathing will lessen until it dies of suffocation." Dasendo shrugged. "But I also expect it to surrender long before then."

Sonic's mind was a blur of horror and fury. How could anyone be that cruel?!

"You can't do that! I won't let you! _No one hurts my friends!"_ Sonic yelled.

"'Friends'?" Dasendo repeated, raising an eyebrow. "I thought you said that you weren't that close."

"Shows what you know," Sonic spat. "Little things like, oh, I don't know, _saving the world_ can bring people closer together."

"Then you care what happens to Project: Shadow?"

"Of course I care! I care about all of my friends!" Sonic yelled. "But, then again, I bet you wouldn't know anything about that now, huh?"

Dasendo's eyes narrowed. "Then you had better take care not to come too close." The old man laid a hand on the machine. "If I set this machine on a higher setting, I could kill him. And it would be all your fault." Dasendo smirked. "Wouldn't that just eat you up? And I _know_ I could change the setting before you reached me. With your excess energy gone, you can't run as fast as before. It's a struggle just to stay on your feet, isn't it?"

Sonic could only stand there, glaring. "H-how do I know that you're not just bluffing?"

"Even if Project: Shadow died, its body would remain, providing the genetic material needed to clone it," Dasendo replied casually. "A difficult procedure, but quite possible. We succeeded once... we can do it again. So, whether Project: Shadow lives or dies, we will still obtain our weapon."

Sonic could feel the anger inside him bubbling up. He was helpless, weak... and simply didn't know what to do. "Y... you..." he seethed.

But suddenly, to the surprise of both Dasendo and Sonic...

... a whisper came from the limp, weakened hedgehog on the ground.

"_I am not..._

_"... just a weapon..."_

Shadow blinked once and stirred...

"_And I'm not... just a project..."_

The red eyes cleared, and the voice grew stronger...

"And I'll prove it. This is G.U.N.'s final battle...

"_... ever..._

The black hedgehog glared up at Dasendo.

"This time... G.U.N. will pay."

.

.

.

_When the machine had first been switched on, a strange feeling had come over Shadow. One second, he was furious, ready to destroy that machine no matter what, but the next..._

It was as if he was suddenly very sleepy, or had run too far without his hoverskates. It wasn't until Shadow had collapsed on the floor that he realized it was becoming hard to breathe...

He could hear voices talking... but the words made no sense to him.

Shadow felt completely drained, as if he didn't have the energy to think... all he wanted was to close his eyes and sleep...

"_You can't do that! I won't let you!"_

'_Sonic... be quiet...'_

"_No one hurts my friends!"_

'_... friends...?"_

.

.

.

"_Shadow... not many people get this chance. You have another chance at living. You can go back to Earth. You can go back to your friends. You can't come here."_

"_I don't have friends!"_

"_Sonic... Tails... Knuckles... Rouge... Amy..."_

"_... They helped me keep my promise. They're not my friends..."_

.

.

.

'_Was I... wrong?_

'_Do I have... are they really my...?'_

Shadow was hesitant to admit it...

... but he knew the truth.

'_I do have friends...'_

As the words formed in Shadow's mind, he couldn't help...

... but smile.

For the first time in months, Shadow had to admit...

... that he felt...

... happy.

Although he still didn't have strength to move, his mind seemed clearer.

Then, he heard Dasendo speak...

"... whether Project: Shadow lives or dies, we will still obtain our weapon..."

'_Is that all they think of me?_

'_A weapon... something to be used by humans?_

'_Something only capable of destruction?_

'_No..._

'_I am alive...!'_

With that, Shadow found strength to speak.

.

.

.

However, anger alone wasn't enough to give Shadow the strength to stand.

"Not just a weapon?" Dasendo scoffed. "Don't you even know _why_ you were created?"

Quietly, Shadow responded. "To fulfill Maria's wish... to bring happiness to Earth..."

"Hah!" Dasendo laughed scornfully. "What a load of foolish mush." Shadow felt his anger deepen. "I'll bet that girl told you that."

"She did," Shadow growled. "She was my best friend... and you took her away from me...!"

Dasendo smiled cruelly down at Shadow. "Well... for all your power, you obviously didn't do a good job of protecting her."__

"You shut up..." Shadow said, a bit louder.

Dasendo looked up and smiled to himself. "Ah... Project: Shadow, the Ultimate Life Form. Precious few knew its true purpose... even old Robotnik himself didn't know what he was creating! He thought he was finding a cure for his granddaughter. Hah!" Dasendo laughed again.

"Though, I suppose, if it weren't for the girl, the immortality studies would never have happened... I would thank her, if not for the... _circumstances."_

Shadow felt beyond anger. He clenched his fists tightly...

"But all those fools were wrong," Dasendo continued. "Project: Shadow was funded by G.U.N. Why could we not take the end result as payment? Of course, _one_ of the end products, the Chaos Drive, has turned out to be quite useful to us... but why did we not deserve the true prize? We had it in our hands! But then that blasted fool Robotnik stepped in at the last minute and changed Project: Shadow, trying to use it for his own revenge! Project: Shadow was and is rightfully ours!"

"I belong to no one," Shadow snarled, struggling to get up. "Not to Robotnik... not to you..."

"Ah-ah-ah," Dasendo said, tapping the machine. "You wouldn't want Chaos Reversal to be set any higher now, wold you?"

"'Chaos Reversal'?" Sonic spoke up. "Is that what that thing does?"

'_Then why hasn't there been an explosion? The fake Emerald reverses Chaos Energy, but what about this thing? Wouldn't it react to Shadow?_

'_Or... is Shadow stronger than what we thought?'_

"This machine reverses the energy signal from that Chaos Emerald and broadcasts the result through the area," Dasendo said, unable to hide the hint of pride in his voice. "When the reversed signal comes into contact with the original, they cancel each other out. And I don't doubt that you are now feeling the effects."

'_Oh... so it doesn't reverse Shadow's Chaos Energy,' _Sonic realized. _'Just the energy from the Emerald. I wonder... does he not know that the Emerald's fake?'_ Sonic wondered. _'If only I had any Chaos attacks like Chaos Spear!'_

Dasendo smiled cruelly. "Of course, I thank you for bringing the Chaos Emerald all the way out here... you saved us a lot of trouble. Otherwise, we would've had to use those remotes to supply the correct signal... not nearly as good as the real thing. Thank you.

"And now," he said, turning to Shadow.

"I have a deal for you.

"Agree to surrender to G.U.N.'s control. If you do, I'll shut off Chaos Reversal and let you live. I might even let your friend go," Dasendo shrugged.

"You won't. And I won't surrender," Shadow said, glaring at the idea.

"Very well. If you don't surrender, Chaos Reversal will continue to weaken you until your demise," Dasendo replied. "It's your choice. Become the power behind the greatest military force ever... or die."

Sonic was a bit nervous. _'I know I can't get to that machine fast enough to get the Emerald without the old man noticing... and he might not be bluffing about...'_ Sonic swallowed.

"Wait a minute," he said quickly. "You said Shadow was immortal! He can't die!"

"Fool," Dasendo snapped. "The only thing that truly keeps Project: Shadow immortal is the Chaos Energy in it! But the thing that gives it its greatest power is also its greatest weakness! Take away the Chaos Energy, and all you have left is a regular hedgehog! Nay, a hedgehog on the brink of death!"

Sonic was angry. "Why do you keep calling him an 'it'?! He's alive, like you or me!"

"Project: Shadow was created as a weapon, and that is all it is," Dasendo replied through clenched teeth. "Your 'friend,' as you put it, could easily destroy the world! A weapon without a master is a danger to society! That's why I created Chaos Reversal, to control the weapon! I am doing humanity a favor! The world will be a better place because of Project: Shadow's capture!"

The words hit Shadow like a ton of bricks.

'_A better place...?'_

"You be quiet!" Sonic yelled. "You don't know anything about him! He wouldn't destroy the world! Heck, he saved the world!"

"But if left unchecked, who knows what the Chaos inside it might do? For all we know, Project: Shadow is a time bomb, about to go off at any second!"

"No!" Sonic yelled. "You don't know anything!"

"Sonic..." Shadow cut in.

"What?" Sonic asked, looking down at the black hedgehog.

Shadow sighed.

"What if he's right...?"

Sonic stared at Shadow in disbelief, while Dasendo laughed. "See? Even Project: Shadow itself agrees!"

"I hardly know anything about my own power," Shadow continued. "I didn't even realize that I had Chaos Energy in me until recently. I really don't even know what my true purpose is..."

"To bring happiness to Earth... that's what your friend wanted, right?" Sonic pointed out.

"When I was up on ARK, working with Rouge and Eggman, Rouge... confronted me about something." Shadow's expression became downcast. "She thought... that I was created on Earth... that I never really met Maria... that my memories weren't real. And when I heard about Project: Shadow02, things just seemed to fall into place..."

Sonic was speechless, while Dasendo smirked.

"I can tell you the purpose for your creation. You were created for G.U.N. in the long run, and you were always meant to serve G.U.N.! But to live out your destiny, you must surrender!"

Shadow winced. He was almost completely drained... It had seemed that just a little bit ago, he was willing to die... ready to choose death over enslavement...

But if Maria wasn't really his friend...

If he had no other purpose...

_If this was how to bring happiness to humans..._

_... to make the world a better place..._

"I..."

_To bring happiness to humans..._

"I..."

_A vision of her face..._

'_She wanted happiness for the people on Earth..._

'_She wanted me to save the world... to bring the happiness..._

'_But G.U.N. wants me to be a weapon for them..._

'_Who is right? Who do I obey...?'_

"Shadow!"

Shadow tilted his head up toward the voice. It was Sonic.

"I know what you're thinking," Sonic said. "You know something? You're way too dependent on others. You've got the strength to survive alone, but as for thinking for yourself? Feh," Sonic sighed good-naturedly. "You're thinking that you have to choose between Maria or G.U.N., right?"

Shadow's silence spoke volumes. "Ha! I knew it," Sonic grinned. "You're too predictable."

Meanwhile, Dasendo was bewildered. Why did the blue one now seem so light-hearted? What was he plotting?

"Ever heard of something called a conscience?" Sonic continued. Shadow's expression was blank. "Huh... guess you've never heard of Pinocchio either, huh? You've got a lot to learn... Anyway, your conscience," Sonic tapped the side of his head, "is what tells you right from wrong. It helps you make decisions."

"And you know that the right decision is to surrender!" Dasendo shouted.

"_For the last time!"_ Sonic screamed. "You shut up! You hear me?!"

"That's it! That's the last straw! I am fed up with both of you!" Dasendo yelled back. Then, he slammed a hand on Chaos Reversal...

Instantly, it was as if Sonic didn't even have the strength to stand... but he knew it was nothing compared to what Shadow was experiencing. Still on his feet, but badly trembling, he looked over at Shadow and whispered...

"_Hang on..."_


	29. What I'm Made Of

Later, when he would recall that day, Shadow would wonder if he would have made it, had Sonic not said those two words.

For, the instant Chaos Reversal had intensified, a horrible, dull pain had come over Shadow's entire body, and he had wondered if his soul itself was not being torn apart.

That feeling reminded Shadow of one other occasion...

... the feeling that he'd had as he was falling from ARK.

As he lay there on the ground, Shadow wondered...

... that maybe, if he waited long enough...

... he'd be able to see Maria...

... once more.

But, just as he knew would happen...

.

.

.

"_Shadow..."_

'_Maria...'_

"_Go back!"_

'_Why...? Why should I...?'_

"_There's a whole world out there... one that we never got to see..."_

'_I know, I know... I wanted to see it...'_

"_Shadow... just stop for a moment. Stop and think. Have you had time to do that?"_

'_I've tried...'_

"_Think now. What do you think your purpose is?"_

'_I... I don't know...'_

"_What do you want your purpose to be?"_

'_I don't know...!'_

"_You are the one who must decide, Shadow. You control your life. Not G.U.N., not me, not anyone... only you."_

'_But I... how can I...?'_

"_You must discover on your own. Find your own dreams, your own wishes... I'm sorry, Shadow."_

'_For what?'_

"_I was selfish... I asked you to fulfill my wish for me..."_

'_It wasn't selfish... it was... a noble wish..._

'_I would be happy to fulfill it...'_

"_You should only do something if you truly believe it is right."_

'_So... listen to my conscience?'_

"_That's right. You should listen to Sonic some more."_

'_What's that faker got to say about any of this?'_

"_Sonic has a strong sense of justice, but he knows that he has to follow his heart to do what he needs to do. You ought to learn a few lessons from him, Shadow._

"_... are you ready to go back?"_

'_... I think so...'_

And suddenly, as if everything that had happened was a dream, Shadow's mind cleared...

... and he heard those two words.

"_Hang on..."_

.

.

.

_I don't care what you're thinking_

_As you turn to me_

_'Cause what I have in my two hands_

_Is enough to set me free (set me free)_

.

.

.

At that moment, Shadow felt the hatred inside him subside...

... and felt his strength grow inexplicably.

'_This is my battle...'_

As Shadow's once limp hands curled into fists, both Dasendo and Sonic were speechless.

"No... that can't be..." Dasendo breathed in horror.

"_How can it still be alive?!"_

Shadow, although he was still shaking terribly, managed to push himself up until he was on all fours...

"Wahoo!" Sonic grinned, despite his own fatigue. The blue hedgehog turned to Chaos Reversal. "All right, Shadow... do you see a way to stop it?"

"I know, I know..." Shadow whispered. "Just... give me a minute..." he said as he leaned back until he was on his knees. He was tired... _dreadfully_ tired...

... but he couldn't bring himself to give up.

.

.

.

_I could fight the feeling_

_To resist over time_

_But when it's just too much to take_

_You sneak up from behind..._

.

.

.

Shadow closed his eyes in concentration...

'_I have to stand up...!'_

For a few seconds, though, he felt like he _just couldn't move..._

_Why? Why move?_

_Why not just stay here..._

_Stay here, lie down..._

_Sleep..._

'_No..._

'_If I give up, I'd be letting myself down... I'd have let G.U.N. win!'_

Shadow slowly got to his feet...

"No...!" Dasendo gasped in disbelief. "How are you doing this?! At the very _least,_ you should be unconscious! How have you...?!"

Shadow's eyes opened. It felt like he had to lift a ton just to stand...

... but as his confidence and determination built, so did his strength.

And he knew what to do to stop Chaos Reversal.

.

.

.

_Is it me, you say, you're looking for_

_Let me show you who I am and what I'm here for... (here for)_

_Try to reach inside of me, try to drain my energy_

_Let me show you just what I'm made of_

_Simple curiosity tries to take a bite of me_

_Let me show you just what I'm made of now..._

.

.

.

Sonic watched as Shadow's eyes fell on the fake Emerald, still lying on the table. _'Can he make it that far?'_ Sonic bit his lip. _'If Shadow touches the Emerald... and Tails' theory is right...'_

Shadow was thinking the same thing. _'The Emerald will be destroyed... along with Chaos Reversal..._

'_And they won't be able to hold me back any longer...!'_

There was one problem standing in the way, though...

'_How am I supposed to get there?'_

And again...

... that twinge of doubt...

'_Why am I doing this?_

'_It would be so much easier to...'_

Shadow stiffened.

'_No..._

'_I can't give up._

'_This is it..._

'_This is my chance!'_

.

.

.

_Like a million faces_

_I've recognized them all_

_And one by one they've all become_

_A number as they fall (as they fall)_

_In the face of reason_

_I can't take no more_

_One by one they've all become_

_A black mark on the floor_

.

.

.

Sonic saw the strength come back to Shadow... and knew what he had to do.

"You had this coming to you, old man!" Sonic yelled as he ran, not nearly as fast as he would have liked, but ran towards Dasendo. Still trembling, but now with adrenaline, he curled into a ball and leaped at the old man, knocking him against the wall. Dasendo slumped to the ground, unconscious.

Then Sonic shouted two very familiar words...

"Now, Shadow!"

The black hedgehog needed no second bidding. From where he stood, he suddenly dashed to the fake Emerald.

Knowing that, although the strength to move had returned, the power needed to unleash a Chaos Spear had not.

He had one choice.

He grabbed the Emerald.

.

.

.

_Is it me, you say, you're looking for_

_Let me show you who I am and what I have in store... (in store)_

.

.

.

For a few seconds, it was as if nothing had happened.

But as Sonic watched, he suddenly saw two auras appear. One was the fake Emerald's...

... the other was Shadow's.

The two energy fields, as Sonic later described it, seemed to be battling, each one trying to defeat the other.

"Holy..." Sonic murmured. He suddenly stood up and moved toward Shadow...

... and was met by an angry pair of red eyes.

"Stop!"

"Huh? What?" Sonic stepped back.

"Don't come any closer!" Shadow yelled.

"Shadow!"

Shadow looked away. It was taking all of his concentration just to hold off the Emerald.

'_I need more strength...!_

'_Why am I doing this?!'_

With that, a sudden realization came to Shadow's mind...

'_I'm not really doing this just for me..._

'_It's for my friends..._

'_It's for everybody...!'_

"It's up to me...

"... to destroy G.U.N....

"To make the world a better place!"

"It's my fight...

"... but it's everyone else's, too..."

"Everyone who's brought me this far...

"Knuckles... Tails... Amy... Rouge...

"Sonic... Maria..."

Shadow recalled that smiling face, once more...

"_Maria...!!"_

The last traces of doubt washed away...

... and Shadow's eyes opened.

"This is my fight!" he whispered.

"But I'm fighting for everyone...

"It was her wish...

"... but it's mine, now, too."

Shadow's eyes softened.

"I wish that I could make the world a better place...

"Where people are happy, for good things...

"... and there's no greed or selfishness, or even fighting...

"I know it probably won't ever happen...

"... but I can try.

"And I'll begin with this...!"

.

.

.

_Try to reach inside of me, try to drain my energy_

_Let me show you just what I'm made of_

_Simple curiosity tries to take a bite of me_

_Let me show you just what I'm made of now..._

.

.

.

As Sonic watched, Shadow's aura, his energy field, slowly but surely began to overtake the energy field of the fake Emerald, soon completely enveloping it. The Emerald began to let off sparks of energy. It began to crack...

Right before Sonic's eyes, the fake Emerald shattered in an explosion of power.

Instantly, Sonic felt his strength fully return as Chaos Reversal died down. Indeed, he felt even stronger than before...

"Shadow, you did it!" Sonic grinned, looking up at the black hedgehog.

But an odd phenomenon was happening...

When Chaos Reversal had shut down, Shadow felt his power increase dramatically. All of his energy returned, in addition to what he'd been able to summon. Plus, the fake Emerald's power had added itself to his.

Shadow knew this feeling, even though it had happened only once before.

To Sonic's amazement, Shadow's fur began to flash from black to silver...

... and suddenly before him, now hovering a few inches off the ground, was none other

than

Super Shadow.

.

.

.

_You can take another lifelong try_

_You can take another try..._

.

.

.

"Whoa..." Sonic whispered.

Shadow turned in midair and faced Chaos Reversal. He glared, and raised a hand toward it...

"Chaos Spear!"

Chaos Reversal sizzled in the bolt of lightning, then exploded.

The noise was enough to wake Dasendo. The old man sat up in confusion. Then his eyes fell on Super Shadow.

"No..." he whispered, petrified. "What... how...?!"

Shadow smirked. "When Chaos Reversal was destroyed, I had enough energy to enter Super form." The silver hedgehog's eyes hardened. "It's your turn to pay."

Suddenly, the ground began to shake and the walls started to crumble. "Shadow!" Sonic yelled. "You're not trying to collapse the place with everyone in it, are you?!"

The door to the room slammed open, and a young G.U.N. soldier burst in. "Sir!" he shouted. "What's going on?!" Then he caught sight of Shadow. He stumbled backward uncertainly. "P-Project: Shadow?!"

Dasendo stood up. No matter what happened, he was still the leader of G.U.N. "Are all the others out there?"

The soldier swallowed. "No, sir."

"Get out there and spread the word to evacuate! Go one, hurry! Get everyone out!" Dasendo snapped. The soldier nodded and ran off.

Sonic was surprised. Turning to Shadow, he asked, "You're letting him get away? You're letting them all get away?"

Shadow looked down. "They haven't done any harm to us of their own accord... Besides, they weren't around fifty years ago. All they know is what they've been told. And..." Shadow's eyes softened, "... I'm not going to take any innocent lives today."

Sonic looked over at Dasendo. "Well... what about him?" Despite Sonic's apparent calmness, he was worried. _'What's Shadow got in mind for punishment?'_

Shadow, his eyes cold once more, turned to Dasendo. "Yes... what should I do to you?" Sparks of Chaos Energy flickered around Shadow's hands. Dasendo paled.

"Shadow, wait," Sonic burst out. The blue hedgehog walked closer to the silver one. "Shadow... you said you didn't want to take any innocent lives today," Sonic said, quietly enough that Dasendo couldn't hear.

"Innocent?" Shadow spat. "You heard how he speaks about me... and even you," he added. "He talks about us as if we're nothing more than... than machines, just objects to order about!"

"Shadow... listen. I think, somewhere deep down... he's not all that bad. You know... sometimes, people can be selfish, but they're usually good deep down. Well, maybe not Eggman," Sonic added after a bit of thought. "But somewhere, I think Dasendo's a decent guy. You saw how he wanted his followers to escape. Maybe he just doesn't understand that you're alive, too."

Shadow looked at the old man. "Isn't that just like you," he said to Sonic. "The hero who gives everyone a second chance." Shadow sighed in exasperation. "But..." To Sonic's shock, some sort of dark energy began to gather in Shadow's hands, and the silver hedgehog's eyes narrowed.

"... he still deserves punishment."

.

.

.

_Try to reach inside of me, try to drain my energy_

_Let me show you just what I'm made of_

_Simple curiosity tries to take a bite of me_

_Let me show you just what I'm made of now..._

.

.

.

Shadow placed his hands in front of him, the palms toward Dasendo, and the dark energy flew in a beam toward him, completely enfolding the old man. Sonic's eyes widened.

"What are you doing?!"

But Dasendo wasn't being hurt... not physically. However, what he was experiencing was almost beyond physical pain...

The "dark energy" in Shadow's hands was not Chaos Energy at all. Instead, it was pure _emotion..._

All of the bottled-up pain, anger, and sorrow, all focused into one place...

And, as Dasendo was suddenly hit by this strange wave, he felt worse than he had ever felt before in his life.

As he felt the pain of the hedgehog before him, Dasendo's hardened heart began to soften, slowly...

... but still, it was opening up.

Thought he would never know the memories that the hedgehog harbored, Dasendo began to realize...

... that although Project: Shadow was created, or even just thought to be a weapon...

... it...

... no, not "it"...

_He_ had a soul.

Project: Shadow was a living thing, who felt emotions like any other living thing.

As Dasendo looked up at the silver hedgehog, he was suddenly aware.

Aware that, even though Project: Shadow had been created by humans, he still breathed, thought, lived like any other living creature.

Dasendo knew.

All of his ideas for Project: Shadow melted away...

... and he bowed his head in shame.

.

.

.

Shadow watched the old man in front of him, and also felt his heart soften.

The nameless wave of darkness ceased...

"Sonic," Shadow said.

"Yeah?"

"Get him out of here. Make sure everyone is out of the base."

"What about--"

"Go!" Shadow shouted. Sonic shrugged, then grabbed Dasendo by the arm and ran.

Shadow remained, hovering higher in the air. Closing his eyes, he focused...

To the surface of his spirit rose all of his fury, all of the anger that he had been harboring...

His entire body began to glow, but not with a silver-white light this time. This time, the aura was dark...

Shadow concentrated...

.

.

.

In only a few minutes, Sonic had managed to evacuate the entire base. A few workers had been resistant, wanting to bring their work or files, and a few had simply been in denial about the whole situation, despite the fact that the entire building was shaking. Rolling his eyes, Sonic had dragged them out.

About half a mile away, the blue hedgehog found Tails, Rouge, and Amy, apparently trying to decide where to attack the base. "Hey, guys!" he shouted.

"Sonic?" Amy called, turning to face him. "Oh, Sonic!" she cried, latching her arms around his neck. Sonic's face reddened, and he pushed her away.

"Not now, Amy..."

"Sonic, I was so worried!" Amy whimpered. "I'm so glad you're all right!"

"Where's Shadow?" Rouge asked worriedly. "Is he still back there? Did you run into that machine I told him about?"

"Shadow's fine..." Sonic waved it off. "He's got _something_ up his sleeve back there... but who knows what it is."

Rouge bit her lip. "I'm worried about him..."

Sonic looked back toward the base. "Yeah... who knows what he's doing. Tell you what, let's go help him destroy the place!" Then, without any further words, Sonic took off.

"Wait!" Rouge called as she took to the air.

"Sonic!" Tails looked up.

Rouge looked back. "Tails, you and Amy keep an eye on those soldiers. We'll be back soon."

Tails nodded dutifully, then tried to restore order among the large crowd in front of him.

Amy pouted. "I never get to do anything fun!"

.

.

.

Inside the base, Shadow's dark energy was growing.

Every feeling of hatred, of pain, of sadness, was concentrated together. Shadow, his eyes shut tight, compressed the energy together and moved it to his hands. Soon, both of his hands were enveloped, each surrounded by a sphere of darkness.

'_This is it...' _Shadow thought.

He released the attack.

As the power rushed out around him, the walls and ceiling cracked and gave in. The dark energy blasted through the building as if the rock and cement were nothing more than tissue paper.

Through it all, Shadow concentrated.

The nameless attack tore through empty hallways, incinerating all evidence that G.U.N. had ever been there.

Shadow saw the building in his mind, and knew exactly where everything was.

He knew better than to let the wave of darkness escape.

In that moment, he knew it was true.

He did have the power to destroy the world.

But he also knew...

... that he would never be able to bring himself to do it.

.

.

.

_Try to reach inside of me_

_(Let me show you what I'm made of...)_

_Try to drain my energy_

_(Let me show you what I'm made of...)_

_Let me show you just_

_What I'm made of..._

_._

_._

_._

When Sonic was within twenty yards of the base, a sudden explosion seemed to rock the earth. To Sonic's shock, the top of G.U.N.'s base blew off, incinerated. The walls were next. The entire base, in only a few seconds, had been annihilated...

... by the same dark energy that Shadow had held in his hands.

"Shadow!" Sonic called as he got back to his feet. As he ran to where the lab used to be, the air seemed to get hotter and hotter...

... until he came across Shadow, still in Super form, but no longer hovering in the air. The silver hedgehog was completely surrounded by a sphere of golden Chaos Energy, at least six feet across, and had his head down, unresponsive.

"Whoa..." Sonic breathed. The entire mountain had been leveled. He continued to walk toward his friend, entering the sphere of Chaos Energy.

Sonic was startled when Shadow suddenly looked up at him. It was as if the silver hedgehog was concentrating on something...

"What are you doing here?!" Shadow yelled.

Sonic felt the Chaos Energy surrounding him begin to shift, and the world outside the sphere began to warp...

... and he knew what was going on.

"Shadow, where are we going?!" Sonic yelled.

There was a bright flash of light...

Rouge saw the light from a distance.

When she arrived at the spot, there was no trace of the two hedgehogs.


	30. Into the Light

Author's Notes: Congrats to Midnight the hedgehog, Chaos Flower, and The All Knowing One for correctly identifying the large energy blast from the last chapter! Hehe.

And of course Petsuchos Isis already knows part of the beginning of this chapter... since I sent it in an e-mail. :)

The song used in this chapter in translated form is the TV-size version of "Hikaru Michi" ("Shining Road"), the second ending song of Sonic X.

Note: Maria is slightly older here than she was in Sonic X. Just to clarify that, since Season 2 will be airing soon and you'll all see what I've seen (though you'll all see it in English). So, she's not 12, Pet Isis.

Oh, and just to let you know... this is the second to the last chapter! It's almost over! Hee hee! But for now, enjoy!

.

.

.

* * *

.

.

.

"_Tails!"_

Rouge grabbed the young kitsune's shoulders.

"Where's your laptop?! _Where is it?!"_

"R-right there..." Tails said, slightly shaken, pointing at his laptop bag under a nearby tree.

"Well, start it up! Open up that GPS program!"

"What? Why? And where are Sonic and--"

"_That's just it!"_ Rouge screamed.

"_They're not there!!"_

"Wh... what...?" Tails was shocked. "What do you mean, they're not there?"

"What happened to Sonic?" Amy shrieked.

"I don't know... I don't know...!" Rouge said, hopelessness echoing through her voice. "I followed Sonic... and all of a sudden, there was this huge flash of light... _huge..._ and... I couldn't find them..."

Tails stared at the white bat for a few seconds. Silently, he walked toward his laptop bag. His hands trembled as he opened the laptop and booted it up.

"Tails? Can you find them...?" Amy asked quietly.

Tails scanned the map.

Nothing.

_Nowhere..._

Shaking, Tails expanded the map.

Still nothing.

'_No...'_

Sonic's brain waves... Shadow's energy signal...

Nothing.

'_No...!'_

"Tails?" Rouge asked.

Desperate, Tails increased the area of the map as far as it could go.

_Nothing._

"No...!" Tails whispered.

"Sonic... where are you...?!"

.

.

.

When Sonic first opened his eyes, he could see nothing but blackness...

A pang of horror ran down his spine. His first conscious thoughts were...

'_No! I can't be blind!'_

The blue hedgehog jumped up frantically. "Where am I?!" he shouted. "Anyone out there? Shadow? _And why the heck can't I see anything?!_"

Sonic blinked and rubbed his eyes. After a few minutes, his eyes began to adjust to the darkness, and he realized that ahead of him was a light...

... and Super Shadow.

"Shadow! Boy, am I glad to see you!" Sonic yelled. But Shadow didn't respond.

Sonic looked around him. "Darkness... with a faraway light..." The hedgehog blinked. "Are we _dead?"_

Suddenly, Shadow smiled. Sonic walked up to his friend.

"What's so funny?! Did you blast us all the way to the afterlife or something?!"

"In a manner of speaking..." Shadow said quietly.

"... you killed us...?" Sonic said slowly, not comprehending.

Shadow sighed, still smiling. "No..."

"But..." Sonic thought.

'_Wait a minute..._

'_That blast... it was like everything around us disappeared..._

'_... or we moved...'_

"Did you use... Chaos Control?"

Shadow nodded.

"Then where are we?" Sonic asked. Suddenly, the answer came to him...

"We're... actually...?!" Sonic stared at the light.

"We're _here?! _In... at... where _dead people_ go?!" Sonic spluttered. "Why in the _world_--"

Suddenly, the answer came to the blue hedgehog. "... oh..." he said quietly, calming down. "I... I think I see...

"You came here... to find... um..."

Shadow nodded, his eyes still fixed on the light...

"Well... why aren't you going?" Sonic asked. "I mean, she's... there... you know..."

"I'm... afraid..." Shadow whispered.

"Huh?"

"I'm afraid... what if... what if my memories... really aren't real...?" Shadow said quietly. "What if I didn't really know her at all? What if... everything that I've thought I've known about her... turns out to be false? All of it?"

"Well... you don't know until you find out," Sonic shrugged. "It couldn't hurt..."

"But... if it turns out that she never met me... never even _knew _me..." Shadow bit his lip.

"I..." The black hedgehog fell silent.

"Well..." Sonic paused, trying to think of something to say. "... what makes you think that?"

"When I was on ARK with Rouge... she told me that the true Project Shadow, the real Ultimate Life Form... that it was the Biolizard. I told her that it was just a prototype... the first stage of the project. But... then she told me that I might not be who I thought I was... that everything I knew might be a lie..." Shadow hesitated. "And then... you heard about that Shadow02...

"It's strange... Back on Earth, I was so confident that I was who I thought I was... but now that I'm here..."

Sonic rolled his eyes. "Listen. You're never going to get anything solved by just standing here. Either you turn back and wonder for all eternity what the answers to your questions are, or you go forward, get the answers, _and_ get the girl of your dreams!"

"It's not like that..."

"Heh, that's what they all say," Sonic grinned, elbowing Shadow in the ribs. Shadow sighed and pushed Sonic away.

Sonic, still smiling, turned toward the light. "Well... even if _you_ don't want to go up there... I think I might check it out."

"_What?"_

"I mean, you know... I've been all over the world already! I've seen so many things... why not add the afterlife to that list while I'm here?" Sonic grinned, then dashed forward.

"Later, Shadow!"

"Sonic...!" Shadow sighed. Facing the light, the silver hedgehog swallowed.

'_Now or never...'_

Shadow headed forward.

.

.

.

The darkness seemed to reach on forever... but every time the hedgehogs looked at the light, it seemed to get closer and closer.

The closer the light got, the brighter it got, but it never got too bright.

Suddenly, Shadow realized that he was running through grass... cool, dewy grass. The darkness around him seemed to be lifting...

To both sides rose huge, black mountains. Shadow wondered if perhaps they were what had created the shadows in the tunnel...

The sky was still dark, as if it were just before a sunrise. Hues of dark blue and purple outlined the shapes of the mountains. Shadow suddenly realized that he was in a valley...

'_Is this what the afterlife is like...?'_

As he continued on, the mountains faded and drew back, and the valley opened up. The land got flatter and flatter, and the sky began to grow brighter...

The green color of the grass began to shine and sparkle in the sunlight, and the small, wispy clouds over the mountains began to turn white.

Suddenly, Sonic stopped. Shadow screeched to a halt, almost colliding with his friend.

"What's the matter?" he asked. But as he looked out over the landscape, Shadow saw what Sonic was gazing at.

If everything up to then had been beautiful, what they saw now was beyond words.

The two of them were standing on a plateau. Below them, for mile upon stunning mile, a field stretched, full of flowers and green grass. Beyond that, the two hedgehogs could see a sparkling ocean, extending out even farther than that.

Sonic was staring at the field. Shadow took one look at his friend's green eyes and knew that the blue hedgehog was _dying_ to take a full-speed run through the huge, wide-open space. A smile crept across Shadow's face.

"Shadow..." Sonic murmured. "I'm in _heaven..."_

"I know, I brought you here," Shadow responded, a hint of a laugh in his voice.

Sonic's stare had changed into a foolish grin. Before he knew it, his feet were twitching in his shoes. Bursting into a bout of wild laughter, Sonic dashed down into the field.

"_Wahahahahahaaa!"_

Shadow smiled, then made his way slowly toward the field.

He looked up at the sky. Apart from Sonic's half-crazed laughter, it was completely silent...

Shadow closed his eyes and sat down as a fresh breeze blew across his face. _So peaceful..._

... but so... empty...?

Shadow sighed. Where were they?

He'd recognized the dark tunnel. He'd recognized the light.

But this time, Maria hadn't been there to stop him from coming.

Was she further ahead?

Would she know him...?

Shadow opened his eyes... and smiled again.

This was what he'd been wanting for so long...

The silver hedgehog looked down into the field, watching Sonic.

He hadn't counted on Sonic following him. Now that the blue hedgehog had had a taste of paradise, would he want to go back?

Would he be _able_ to go back?

Shadow looked down at his silver fur.

He had used Chaos Control to come here. Could Chaos Control send Sonic back?

"And why haven't I changed back yet...?" Shadow wondered out loud.

Suddenly, a voice spoke.

"_Time has a habit of not passing very quickly here."_

"What?" Shadow jumped up, looking behind him.

There stood Tikal. She smiled. "Shadow. It's nice to see you again. What are you doing here?"

Shadow started, "Well--"

"He's here looking for his girlfriend," Sonic interjected, suddenly appearing. He was slightly out of breath, still with a ridiculous grin on his face.

"Hey," the blue hedgehog continued. "There's no one here, huh? And what're you doing here, Tikal? I thought you hadn't gone on to the afterlife yet!"

Tikal laughed. "This isn't the afterlife..." The Echidna girl smiled. "The true afterlife is that way... across the ocean..."

"Woah..." Sonic murmured, looking out past the field. "That's a pretty long way... How long d'you think it would take to get there?"

Tikal shook her head. "When you're in this world, time doesn't matter anymore. You can be here for an eternity, but not a day will pass... The sun rises when you enter, and it will never set again."

'_It sounds like my life...'_ Shadow found himself thinking.

"So... this is just the in-between part, then?" Sonic asked.

"You could say that." Tikal suddenly turned to Shadow and smiled. "Shadow... though your time here is limited... if you'll come this way... And Sonic, you're welcome to come along too." The Echidna girl started to walk toward the field...

Shadow, slightly confused, glanced at Sonic, who merely shrugged. The two followed Tikal's footsteps...

.

.

.

Though the field seemed to stretch forever, the time it took to walk across it seemed like nothing. However, the closer they got to the ocean, the mistier it seemed to get, until Shadow could barely see Tikal's figure, only a few yards ahead of him.

Tikal suddenly stopped. Shadow and Sonic continued walking until they were right next to her.

"Tikal? Why'd we come here?" Sonic asked.

Tikal turned, but her answer was directed to Shadow. "There's someone here who wants to talk to you, Shadow... someone you haven't seen for quite a while..."

Shadow felt his heart skip a beat. "Wh... what...?" Sonic grinned.

"Bet you're glad now you came, huh?"

Tikal walked forward. The Echidna girl called out across the fog.

"_I call upon Maria Robotnik... the one you waited for has come at last."_

Shadow's heart was beating as if he'd just gone a hundred miles without his hoverskates.

Slowly, the fog around them began to dissipate, creating a clearing.

And from beyond the edge of the clearing, the figure of a slender girl, probably in her early teens, grew closer.

And Shadow heard the words that he knew

he had been dying to hear

this whole time...

"_Shadow...? Shadow... is that you...?"_

And despite himself, Shadow couldn't say anything.

The sound of footsteps could now be heard... footsteps that grew faster with each second.

"_Shadow...!"_

Sonic watched as Shadow took a step toward the edge of the clearing, as if he still couldn't believe that this was all happening.

One step became two... then three...

"Shadow!" The girl's voice became louder, and her outline could be seen clearly.

_Her golden hair came down to the middle of her back, and she was wearing a dress... a pale-blue dress..._

Shadow's steps increased until he too was running.

Finally, the girl broke through the edge of the fog...

.

.

.

_In one smooth movement, Maria knelt to the ground. Shadow's feet kept moving until he was safely in her arms, once more..._

"_I've missed you..."_ Shadow whispered, finally able to speak. Closing his eyes, he sighed and breathed in the familiar scent of his best friend...

"I'm so happy..." Maria said, her arms wrapped tightly around Shadow. The girl smiled. "You're free now... you defeated G.U.N...."

"_And I found my way back to you,"_ Shadow finished, looking up into Maria's blue eyes. He smiled, even as his vision became blurred with happiness. "I've missed you _so much..."_

"_Ahem..."_

Shadow and Maria turned to Sonic, who was still standing by the edge of the fog.

Sonic grinned. "Should I leave you two alone?"

Shadow wished more than ever that Sonic had stayed back on Earth, but Maria laughed. Standing up, she walked to the blue hedgehog. Smiling, she said, "You're silly... You must be Sonic."

Sonic folded his arms behind his head. "That's the name, don't wear it out."

Maria smiled. Quietly, she said, "Thank you... thank you for helping Shadow..."

Sonic waved it off. "It was nothing... I mean, saving the world from certain doom, helping friends escape from corrupted militaries, eh, I do it all the time." Maria laughed again.

Meanwhile, Shadow was watching Maria, almost as if he was afraid that if he took his eyes off her for a moment, she'd disappear again. Sonic noticed the black hedgehog.

"Hey," he said. "I think someone really wants to talk with you..." Sonic grinned. "I'll be back in that field if anyone needs me!" The blue hedgehog zoomed off.

Shadow watched him go. "He's a firecracker, isn't he?" Maria nodded.

The two faced each other quietly.

Shadow inwardly sighed. _Now that he was here... he wasn't quite sure what to say..._

"Maria..."

Maria kneeled down to Shadow's height again. "There's something on your mind, isn't there?" She smiled. "You always had that look on your face when you wanted to say something, back when you were little..."

Those words struck a chord somewhere in Shadow's heart.

_Before he knew what he was doing, he had run to Maria, clinging to her, tears falling from his eyes as if he was a young child all over again..._

"_I was so worried... I didn't know if I was real... I didn't know if I had ever really known you..."_

"It's okay, Shadow... it's okay..." Maria whispered soothingly, stroking his head. "You're real... you're my friend... I know you, I grew up with you..."

"I was so scared... if I never knew you, then why should I have kept living?" Shadow whispered.

"_It's all right... it's all over... you don't have to worry anymore..."_

Shadow felt the tears come even faster... _but there was no more sadness._

_No more anger._

_No more._

Only an indescribable joyous feeling...

'_Is it possible to be this happy?'_ Shadow wondered.

.

.

.

The two friends stayed there for several minutes, each lost in thought.

Shadow finally looked up.

"I'm sorry that I can't remember much..." he whispered, with an almost childlike innocence.

Maria shook her head. "It's all right..."

"I just wish I knew exactly what the professor did to my memories... do I still have them somewhere?" Shadow wondered out loud.

"_I believe you do."_

Maria and Shadow looked up to see Tikal.

"You might still have them... your memories," Tikal smiled.

Shadow stared. "Can I get them back?"

Tikal nodded. "It came to me... do you know the poem, 'The servers are the seven Chaos. Chaos is power, power is enriched by the heart. The controller is the one that unifies the Chaos?'"

Shadow suddenly recalled a moment, the short time before the fight with the FinalHazard. He nodded.

Tikal continued. "The key part is, 'power is enriched by the heart.' I believe that Chaos Energy is very strongly tied to your emotions and dreams.

"Do you know how, when you are very angry, that sometimes your mind becomes clouded?" Shadow nodded.

"Your anger after what happened on ARK, fifty years ago, clouded your mind. That anger was amplified many, many times by the Chaos Energy that resides in you. In a way, the Chaos Energy became corrupted," Tikal said quietly.

"Because that anger had no way to escape, it simply kept building on itself..." Tikal suddenly smiled.

"However...

"When you destroyed G.U.N.'s base, all of the corrupted Chaos Energy in you escaped. Your built-up anger and sadness... it's all gone now.

"I don't doubt that your memories will soon be able to return to you."

Shadow smiled. Maria couldn't help but hug the silver hedgehog again.

"I'm so happy for you, Shadow... You'll be able to remember everything when you go back..."

Shadow suddenly froze. "Go... back...?"

Maria let go of Shadow and held him at arm's length. "I'm sorry..." she whispered.

"I told you before... you don't belong in the afterlife yet."

Shadow's eyes had a look of complete disbelief in them. "But what am I going to do on Earth?"

"Live, Shadow," Maria said. "There's a whole new world out there, waiting for you... I can wait. The afterlife can wait. But it's now or never out _there._

"Time means nothing here. You can go back to the living world now... and I'll be here when it's your time."

"But... I thought..." Shadow stammered.

'_I thought I was immortal..._

'_If I go back now, will I ever be able to return?'_

Tikal walked up to Shadow and smiled. "You'll come back. I'm sure of it."

"But... I'm supposed to be..."

"You lost a lot of energy in the battle, Shadow. When you go back to the living world, you're going to be very weak for a long time..." Tikal said.

"I think, that if you make a normal recovery... that is, you don't use the Chaos Emeralds to recharge your energy... eventually, their effect will wear off."

"Then... what will I be like?" Shadow asked quietly. Tikal shook her head.

"I don't know. I'm sorry."

"So... I might die someday." Shadow looked at the ground. Maria smiled sadly.

"It sounds bad, doesn't it? But that's a long, long time from now... When your time comes, it won't be so bad."

Shadow looked up at Maria. "But what about you? It wasn't fair for you!" He folded his arms bitterly.

The fog suddenly started to lift, and Shadow saw that they were near the edge of the beach. "You see that, Shadow?" Maria whispered, pointing to the ocean.

"Do you see everything here? The mountains, the fields, the sky? It's so beautiful, isn't it?" Shadow nodded.

"But... even this isn't really the afterlife. It's just the crossroads between the worlds... the place where it's still okay for those who don't belong to turn back. Across the ocean... I hear that's where paradise really is." Maria's eyes had a faraway look in them.

"Every day... I watch soul after soul pass by. I watch them cross the ocean. And I can see tiny pieces of what it must be like over there.

"But I'm not going. I'm waiting.

"Every day, I see spirits come. They wait. They might wait for a long time, but they stay. Then, one day, the spirit they have been waiting for comes, and they cross the ocean together.

"I'm still waiting, Shadow," Maria smiled.

Shadow sighed. "And I suppose... it won't do any good to ask you to come back with us, right?"

Maria smiled sadly. "I wish I could... but I've already died in that world. I don't belong there anymore.

"I'm happy here, Shadow. The only thing that will make me happier is when you come, when it's your time.

"But never before. If you try to come here before you are meant to, you won't make it.

"If you're sad and angry when you come here, you will be sad and angry forever. I don't want that for you, Shadow.

"I want you to go back. I want you to have a happy life. I want you to live a long, long time... maybe even a thousand years.

"But no matter how long it takes you, I'll be waiting.

"And I'll always be there with you, Shadow. As long as you remember our wish..."

"The wish?" Shadow blinked in surprise. "Your wish? For everyone to be happy...?"

Maria shook her head. "Not my wish... _our_ wish.

"You were born to be timelessness embodied. If you remember our wish, it'll last forever. If you teach it to others, it'll last even beyond us. It's something that will last for eternity." Maria looked at the sky.

"I want to be remembered by that wish... I wanted it so that everyone, everywhere could be happy.

"I was always alone before I met you... I was satisfied on ARK, but when I met you, I realized how unhappy I had been.

"I've watched you ever since I got here... and now I realize that doing something like making everybody happy will be difficult."

Maria smiled.

"But nothing is too difficult when you have forever to do it.

"Please try, Shadow. Please remember me..."

Shadow nodded. "How could I ever forget you? Even when it seemed like everything I'd loved was gone... I still remembered you...

"... I still felt... almost... _happy..."_

"That's what I'm talking about! If everyone can find the one thing that truly makes them happy... then I'll be happy."

"But... what about people like Dasendo?" Shadow asked.

Maria sighed. "I don't know about them... I watch Earth from here, and I see people become corrupted from pursuing power or money... and I wonder if they truly think that they'll be happy when they find what they're searching for. I don't think that's what everyone really wants, though... surely, there's something else that they love." Shadow nodded.

"I thought getting revenge would make me satisfied... but now that I think about it... I felt so empty inside..._ as if it wasn't the right path..."_

Shadow and Maria stood, facing the ocean, silently.

"I'm happy that things turned out the way they did," Maria said quietly.

"I just wish that... you didn't have to die..." Shadow responded.

"No... it's all right. Just think about it..." Maria smiled. "If even one thing in the past changed, how would the future have turned out? Surely not the same. And if there's a happy ending, that's all that matters..."

She laughed. "Of course, it's far from over! We're only in the middle of the story! We have forever to finish it...

"And I want part of your story to be on Earth. Will you go back, Shadow?"

Shadow looked up at his friend. At the very thought of leaving her behind, his eyes began to blur. He swallowed, feeling that familiar tightening in his throat. Afraid that more tears might fall, he remained silent.

'_How can an ending be happy if there are so many tears...?'_

Suddenly, Shadow saw a tear fall down Maria's face. She was crying...

_... a sudden vision..._

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_Sniffling... a little girl crying..._

"_What's wrong, Maria?" a hedgehog child asked, his voice almost that of a baby's._

"_I'm afraid... what if I never get to go to Earth?" the young girl whispered between her tears._

"_Why not?"_

"_Grandpa says I'm sick... he says that it's too dangerous for me to go to Earth... I might get more sick..." Maria sniffled._

_The little hedgehog tilted his head, still not sure why his friend was crying. However, just the sight of her tears was enough to start him sobbing, too._

_Maria looked up. "Now why are you crying?"_

"_Because Maria's sad." The hedgehog looked at Maria. "But why? Why does Maria want to go to Earth? If you go to Earth..." The hedgehog's red eyes began to brim with tears._

"_If Maria goes to Earth... then Shadow will be alone..."_

"_No, silly," Maria said with a hiccuping laugh. "I'd never leave you alone! If I go to Earth, you'll come too!"_

_Shadow stood there for a moment, tears still running down his face. Suddenly, he ran to Maria. "Don't leave Shadow alone!"_

_Maria hugged her friend, her tears running into his fur. "I won't..._

"_I love you, Shadow..."_

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And Shadow was back in her arms, once more...

"You said you wouldn't leave me... but here I am, leaving you," he whispered.

"It's just for a little while..." Maria said. She smiled.

"Over here, it might seem so nice... but there are so many things on Earth that might even be nicer..."

"Please go, Shadow."

Shadow stepped back. Through his tears, he smiled.

"... I will."

Maria nodded.

"B... besides..." Shadow smiled. "I can't just leave Sonic here to tear up the afterlife as well as our world, right?" Maria laughed.

"I'm glad you've found a friend..."

"Yeah..." Shadow looked back toward the field.

"Looking for me?"

Sonic suddenly appeared in front of Shadow. "So... ready to go back yet?"

Shadow blinked. "Already?"

Sonic grinned. "Exactly what part of supersonic speed do you not understand?" The blue hedgehog stretched, still grinning. "It's great here! It's like I have all the energy in the world! I can keep running forever!" Sonic laughed. "But even so, it's not home.

"So... I mean, not to rush you or anything..." Sonic shrugged. "But I bet the others are worried sick."

"Mm..." Shadow nodded. He looked up at Maria.

"I won't forget you. I'll never forget you."

"I know..." she whispered.

"I'm sorry I can't stay longer... I'm sorry I have to leave you for so long..."

"It's all right..." Maria said. "You'll come back someday... and who knows... maybe you'll even find another way to warp here again. But please rest up when you get home."

"I will..."

"I'm sorry I can't come with you..."

"That's all right..." Shadow said. "Don't worry..." He smiled.

"You'll be with me, remember?"

Maria nodded.

Suddenly, Tikal appeared. "Shadow... your Super form is going to disappear soon... you must leave."

It was true. Shadow felt the power of his Super form starting to ebb slightly...

"Maria..." he whispered, looking at her.

Then, Maria suddenly bent down and gave Shadow a kiss on the cheek. Shadow smiled shyly, while Sonic grinned like there was no tomorrow.

"I'll see you again someday..." Shadow said. Focusing, he drew the power of the Chaos Emeralds into his hands...

Shadow smiled. "Good-bye... Maria..."

_And quickly, before he could change his mind..._

_Shadow released the energy into a Chaos Control._

Sonic and Shadow disappeared in a flash of light. Behind them, the air shimmered and sparkled.

But behind them, Shadow could hear Maria's last words, hanging on the air...

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"_Good-bye, Shadow..._

"_I love you..."_

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Amy was sobbing, and Tails was trying to console her. Rouge was standing off to the side, silent, while the G.U.N. workers and soldiers stood around, not sure what to do since their base had just been annihilated.

Suddenly, a bright flash lit up the air, back at G.U.N.'s base. Rouge, Tails, and Amy all looked at each other knowingly, then set off for the light.

_When they arrived, they saw Sonic, supporting a limp Shadow._

_Both were looking at the sky..._

_... and Shadow's face glistened with tears._

_But despite the fact that the tears were obviously because of Maria's absence..._

_... the now-black hedgehog was not truly sad._

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'_There was no more misery. There was no more anger. There was no more hatred._

'_Even though leaving her made me sad, I knew that someday, I'd see her again... somehow, I'd find a way._

'_And just that made me happy again._

'_Good-bye, Maria..._

'_... good-bye, my friend._

'_... I love you, too...'_

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_Our world is missing that magic_

_With only the excitement of love, enclosed in our tears_

_Boy, together we'll look for that spell_

_In the country where we can dream forbidden dreams_

_We'll secretly meet alone tomorrow_

_Someday, where the small bird lies_

_On the hill where you can see the sunrise_

_In the cold morning mist, if we are hand in hand_

_The seal to the shining road will break_

_Forever_


	31. Wishes Are Eternal

**Author's Notes:** Well, everybody, here we are... the final chapter of "Wishes Are Eternal".

Along with writing this chapter, I have gone back and edited the entire story! So, even if you've read this fanfic already, I highly encourage you to take another look at how things may have changed slightly...

Since this is the last chapter, I am also going to take this opportunity to write out a few credits and words of thanks.

**Special Thanks:**

**SonicTeam/SEGA**, for creating the game without which none of us would ever have known Shadow in the first place.

**Nintendo**, for creating the Game Cube, where I first became acquainted with Shadow.

**KojiChao**, for originally translating "The Truth About 50 Years Ago," without which this story would never have been written. This text can be found at:

http : / / garm . dyndns . org / kojichan / ps / truth . htm

(Simply take out the spaces when you visit the site. A link to the main website can be found on my homepage, also.)

"The Truth About 50 Years Ago" is a very intriguing piece of evidence as to whom Shadow might truly be...

And lastly,

**Everybody** who took the time to write a good review for this story. Thanks for all of your support! :D

_**(Update 5/4/05: **__Because of FanFiction . Net's announcement regarding song lyrics, I have removed the English song, "Make A Wish" from this chapter. However, I have decided to keep the translations of both "Hikaru Michi" and "Chiisaki Mono," and while I'm at it, I would like to claim both of my translations as my own. __**Please do not steal my translations,**__ as they took quite a bit of work to do. Thank you!)_

Now, for that question that I know some of you out there might be wondering... will there be a sequel?

I'll leave you with this; there has been a sub-story within this fanfiction which I have been itching to write. I don't know when, and I don't even know if I will... but if I do, you will find yourself with a continuation of this fanfic.

(Note 2/26/10: Six years later, it's safe to say that there will not be a sequel to this story. Sorry to everybody who was hoping for one, XD However, I would like to say that I don't believe that I am done entirely with this story, and that there are many places where I still think it could have gone... So, please look forward to something from me in the future. :) )

And finally, I present to you the final chapter of "Wishes Are Eternal".

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"_Fifty years ago, the famed Space Colony ARK, built by the late renowned scientist Professor Gerald Robotnik, was shut down under the premise that an unfortunate accident had occurred. This accident supposedly killed most of those working on the current experiment, code-named "Project Shadow," and Prof. Robotnik was taken into the custody of the military organization, the Guardian Units of (the) Nation, also known as G.U.N. The prototype of the Ultimate Life, the Biolizard, was sealed away within the core of the space colony, and a secondary prototype was captured and frozen within G.U.N.'s base on what was formerly known as Prison Island. Prof. Gerald was later executed._

"_Under further investigation, though, it has been shown that G.U.N. was actually the originator of the "accident" on ARK, as was written in a previous report (see "The Truth About 50 Years Ago," report written on Project Shadow). Now, there is evidence to show that G.U.N. not only took the captured Project Shadow for itself, but also attempted to create more of its kind, under the experiment code-named, Project Shadow02._

"_Project Shadow02 originally began approximately twenty years ago, with the forced assistance of Professor Tamine Kagaku, who had been a member of Robotnik's original team. However, several years into the project, Kagaku was expelled from G.U.N. for uncertain reasons, possibly insubordination. Despite this, research did not halt, and five years after the project began, a prototype of the "Second Ultimate Life" was created, modeled after the hedgehog form of the original Project Shadow._

"_Project Shadow02 was a continuation of Robotnik's "immortality studies," using the energy of the seven enigmatic Chaos Emeralds. These Emeralds were slowly gathered together, several having been obtained from ARK. However, the full strength of these Emeralds was not realized, as none of the scientists then working for G.U.N. could comprehend their mystical, almost magical properties._

"_However..._

"_While the infant Shadow02 was being transported from the lab in which it was created to G.U.N.'s main Prison Island base, the helicopter in which it was being carried mysteriously malfunctioned, and the capsule in which Shadow02 was contained, along with the seven Chaos Emeralds, was dropped into the ocean. G.U.N. had no more monetary sources with which to continue the project, and had to abandon it in the hopes of someday returning to their quest: to create an Ultimate Life Form, which could be used as an immortal weapon._

"_To this day, all who were involved with Project Shadow02 have assumed that it was lost to the depths of the ocean. Yet, there has been no proof of the creature's actual death. Also, the reappearance of the Chaos Emeralds is a mystery within itself._

"_However, there is now reason to believe that Project Shadow02 is still alive, roaming the Earth, under a new name and identity._

"_Project Shadow02 was lost somewhere over the area of the southern ocean. This ocean is dotted with any number of islands, which, while most are not suitable for human occupation, could support a large number of small animals._

"_It is quite possible that the capsule containing Project Shadow02 and the seven Chaos Emeralds could have floated through the salt water and washed up on one of these small islands. There, the project escaped and thrived in the southern climate, while the Chaos Emeralds could have been carried off by any number of small animals and hidden within the island._

"_After a number of years, the project eventually found a way off of the island, and the Chaos Emeralds became scattered throughout the world._

"_Now, anyone may be wondering: "If Project Shadow02 survived and is alive today, where is it?"_

"_Through a period of observation and research, it can be safely theorized that Project Shadow02 is none other than world-renowned hero, Sonic the Hedgehog. The blue hedgehog resembles the original Project Shadow to a tremendous extent, to the point where he was mistakenly arrested for the robbery carried out by the original, Shadow the Hedgehog. It has also been observed that Sonic the Hedgehog is also able to perform Project Shadow's trademark Chaos feat: Chaos Control, a warping and distortion of space and time that can move the user to wherever, and possibly whenever, he might desire._

"_Sonic the Hedgehog has been spotted living comfortably with friends in Station Square, and does not seem to know anything about Project Shadow02. Therefore, it might be an appropriate idea to leave him well alone for now..._

"_Lastly, in a follow-up to Project Shadow:_

"_Shadow the Hedgehog has also been seen in Station Square. He does not seem to be a danger to those around him, and it may also be a good idea to let him be. The hedgehog is actually somewhat quiet and shy, and appears to be recuperating from exhaustion (possibly a case of overexertion after being released). However, it is suggested that the public not be informed too much about this hedgehog's past..."_

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Knuckles put down the pages of the report. He glanced up at Rouge. "Exactly how long did it take you to write this?"

Rouge shrugged. "Maybe a day to write... much longer to find and verify all of the information." She sat down next to Knuckles on the steps to the shrine of the Master Emerald. "So... what do you think?"

Knuckles handed the paper back to her. "It doesn't mean anything. Everything is still how it used to be... right?"

The bat lightly bopped Knuckles over the head. "Oh, come on! Doesn't any of this mean anything to you?" she sighed.

"That Sonic and Shadow are two of a kind? We all knew that already..."

Rouge sat back and smiled. "Hmph... You're sure taking this all in stride, aren't you?"

Knuckles shrugged. "It doesn't matter... it doesn't change who they are." He paused. "... have you told them yet?"

Rouge shook her head. "No... I mean, it's rather hard to break this kind of news to someone, you know? That you could possibly be... _related_ to one of your friends?"

"By the way... how would they be related?"

"I don't know..." Rouge murmured. "I heard that Project Shadow02 was a 'clone' of the original... though there really wasn't any way to verify that anywhere, short of doing a DNA test on them." Rouge snickered. "And it'd be rather hard to explain that, wouldn't it? _'Excuse me, we need to do a DNA test to see if Sonic's your clone, Shadow...'_" The bat laughed. "But really... clone versus original, it's hard to put that into terms of family. I suppose... brothers? Cousins?" Rouge thought. "Though I've heard that people sometimes refer to originals and clones as parents and children--"

She was interrupted by a cough by Knuckles, obviously to stifle a laugh. The red echidna was having trouble keeping a straight face. "What?" he asked, starting to calm down.

Rouge rolled her eyes, but she kept smiling. "It sounds weird, doesn't it? Shadow and Sonic... hee hee...!"

"Anyway..." Knuckles snickered, "how's everyone doing down there? What's it been, about six months since they took down G.U.N.?"

Rouge smiled. "Yeah... and from what I hear, Shadow's recovering pretty well. Speaking of which..." Rouge produced a laptop bag and began rummaging through it. Finally, she pulled out a piece of paper. Handing it to Knuckles, she said, "This is for you.

"We're having a party tonight in Shadow's honor. And I promise you, it's going to be a pretty good one. You interested in coming?"

Knuckles took the paper. Inside was listed the time and place, 8:00 p.m. at Amy's apartment. Shaking his head, he handed it back to Rouge.

"Sorry. I've got to stay here."

Rouge bopped Knuckles across the head again. "Jeez! Don't you ever get out to have a little fun?" Knuckles shrugged.

"Hey... exactly what is Shadow recovering from, anyway?" Knuckles asked.

Rouge shrugged. "Beats me. All I know is, when they reappeared from wherever they went, he was out like a light." She bit her lip. "It was really scary... some of his wounds from before came back... I was so afraid he was going to start bleeding to death. But we got him bandaged up and back at Amy's place. Sonic just told us that Shadow needed some rest and he'd be fine."

"Did he tell you where they went?"

"Nope. Just said, 'that's confidential'. I don't think we're ever going to find out, unless Shadow tells. All he's saying is that they went somewhere really far away, and it took a lot of energy for Shadow to Chaos Control back home. Huh, it must have been a really far distance..." Rouge murmured.

"What I'm wondering is, how did Shadow even manage to destroy that 'Chaos Reversal' thing you told me about in the first place?" Knuckles asked.

"Ah... that." Rouge smiled. "I have another theory about that..."

"Oh, great... another theory..." Knuckles looked away.

"No, listen! You know that poem you taught me?"

"Tikal's poem? Yeah..."

Rouge nodded. "That line... that 'power is enriched by the heart'. That's the key.

"Sonic told me what he heard Shadow say back there... that he wanted to defeat this for his friends... for Maria...

"I think it was love that helped him win."

"_What?!"_ Knuckles nearly fell over backwards. "Shadow?! He... what?!" the red echidna sputtered.

Rouge laughed. "Well, isn't love one of the strongest emotions of the heart? Love for his friends, love for Maria, love for this world? Everyone's capable of it... right, Knuckles?" she grinned. The echidna turned away, slightly flustered.

"Uh... a-anyway, what are you going to do with that report?" Knuckles asked quickly. Suspiciously quickly.

Rouge mentally sighed, knowing it would be impossible to keep Knuckles on the former topic. "Well... I don't know. You see..." The bat took a file folder from her bag.

"These are all files that I took from the workers at the base. There is quite a lot of information here..." she said. "My report's based off of this.

"There's a lot here that the government would be very interested in... if, for nothing else, the advancement of science. There's a lot here... and plus, the rest of it was destroyed in the blast.

"I was thinking of turning this all in to the president... but..."

"But what?"

"I just don't know... if it's right to turn this in... because if Sonic really is... you know." Rouge paused.

Knuckles shrugged and started up the steps toward the Master Emerald. "Whatever you want to do, Rouge..."

Rouge hesitated, looking at the folders in her hand. Silently, she slipped them back into the laptop bag.

Finally, she found herself looking at her report. It wasn't very long or very detailed... but even so...

Was it right to give all this information about her friends to the government?

Did it even matter...?

Rouge glanced at the text and photos covering the page.

'_Well...'_

She looked up at where Knuckles was, and then over to the edge of the island.

'_... I suppose...'_

Smiling quietly, Rouge let a gust of wind blow the sheets of paper from her hand. Following it with her eyes, she watched the words fly into the sky, off the island, and certainly into the ocean below...

She turned back to Knuckles. "I'll be going, then. Come if you want to."

"Sure..."

The bat spread her wings for flight. There was a lot to be done that afternoon.

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'_... I could always write another one, anyway...'_

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Seven o' clock in the evening. The sun was already low in the sky, and the wind was starting to be quite chilly.

Shadow shivered as he stood up from the bench where he'd been sitting. True, it was a nice change from being stuck in bed all day for months, but it was so _cold_ outside...

Hurriedly, he threw the empty triangular box where a small slice of hot pizza had been half an hour ago into the nearest wastebasket.

Where were Tails and Sonic? The black hedgehog had been supposed to meet them an hour ago at the train station...

Suddenly, the doors opened, and the young kitsune and blue hedgehog ran out the door, Sonic holding a good-sized box.

"Hey, Shadow! Sorry we're late," Sonic grinned. "The train's so slow..."

"Well, it's better than being cold," Tails pointed out. "How long have you been waiting here?"

Shadow shook his head. "Not too long. I'm all right. Amy gave me some money to get food in case you were late, anyway."

"Yeah, well, we had to finish up some business back at the workshop," Sonic said, while Tails was nearly bursting with laughter.

"Wait until you see it!" Tails exclaimed. "You're going to like it a lot!"

"Hmm..." Shadow smiled.

_It seemed like ever since he had gotten back to Earth, he was smiling a lot more..._

"Come on, let's get home before we freeze," Sonic said, eagerly tapping his foot against the concrete. "I'll race you home!"

"Oh, no..." Tails sighed, though a smile stayed on his face.

But Shadow's eyes met Sonic's, and the competition was on.

From the train station, the two hedgehogs started running, though Sonic went just fast enough to keep up with Tails and to make sure Shadow didn't fall too far behind. It had only been a few weeks since he'd recovered his strength...

About halfway to Amy's place, Shadow stopped. Panting, he leaned against a building for support.

"I'm... sorry... I'll walk the rest of the way... I'll meet you at home..."

"It's okay. You just take it easy," Tails said reassuringly. "We'll walk, too."

But Sonic had other ideas. Holding out the box, he pressed it into Shadow's arms.

"We were going to give this to you later today... but I really want to see you try them out," the blue hedgehog smiled.

Shadow took the brown cardboard box. Slightly confused, he set it down on the ground and carefully lifted it open. Slowly, he moved the white tissue paper out of the way...

The black hedgehog suddenly felt a jolt of happiness run down his spine. His face breaking into a smile, he pulled out a pair of hoverskates, just like his old ones.

"Go ahead, try them on!" Tails said. "We had to guess what size your feet were, so I hope they fit all right..."

But the old red-and-white sneakers were already off of Shadow's feet. Sitting against the cold pavement, Shadow slipped the skates on, left first, then right. Standing up, he was slightly startled to hear the sounds of the metal bottoms on the pavement. He'd actually gotten used to hearing the soft padding of the sneakers...

"You... what... how...?!" Shadow exclaimed.

Tails sheepishly folded his hands behind his head. "A while ago, Rouge and Professor Kagaku went up to ARK for some stuff. They found a blueprint for your hoverskates, so they brought it to me, and I figured out how to build them."

"You wanna try them out now?" Sonic grinned, packing the old shoes inside the box. "You have to break them in sometime."

Shadow felt new energy with the new shoes. A new fire in his eyes, he nodded.

The two hedgehogs were off.

Tails watched them go, then shrugged. Oh well.

Hedgehogs will be hedgehogs...

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When they got to Amy's apartment, Sonic knocked on the door. Opening it himself, he let Shadow go first.

The entire room was dark. Shadow fumbled around for the light switch on the wall.

_Click!_

"Surprise!" Amy and Rouge jumped out from the sides of the wall.

"Huh... what...?!" Shadow stepped backward, startled.

"Hee hee!" Amy giggled. "Sorry, Shadow."

"It's a party, just for you," Rouge said. "You know what that is, right?"

"A... party...?" Shadow repeated the word. He suddenly felt another memory surface...

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"_Happy birthday, Shadow!" Maria cheered._

_The small hedgehog looked around, confused. The girl laughed. "Don't you get it? It's a party, just for you!" Maria then placed a slice of cake in front of him._

_Happily, Shadow dug in with his hands..._

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"Is there... cake... at a party?" Shadow asked, mumbling. It was so embarrassing having to ask about everything...

It seemed like everything he encountered brought up a new memory of something that had happened long ago... not that it was a bad thing, of course...

Amy laughed, nonetheless. "Of course there's cake at a party! What kind of party would it be otherwise?"

"Is it my birthday?"

"Um..." Amy didn't know.

"Actually, no... your birthday's in June, I think," Rouge said, gently. "It won't be for quite a while now..."

"Oh..." Shadow looked down, slightly embarrassed.

Rouge smiled. "Oh well. Come in, you guys." She glanced at Shadow's feet. "So... I see they've already given you your present..." Sonic and Tails laughed guiltily.

"Aw, come on... he needed a way to get home!"

"I bet you tired him out with a race as an excuse to give him those skates," Rouge raised an eyebrow.

Sonic looked away. "Um... eh-heh... well, uh, I'll go wash my hands..." he mumbled.

"Me too," Tails chimed in, following Sonic to the bathroom.

"Man, she knows _everything_..." Sonic muttered. Rouge snickered. Having good hearing sure paid off...

Meanwhile, Shadow was looking around the room. It looked a lot different... there were things that he'd never seen before. Streamers, helium balloons, ribbons... it was a lot to take in.

"You like it?" Rouge asked. "It's all for you."

"You didn't have to..." Shadow mumbled.

"Nah, it's all right. We wanted to. Everybody pitched in a little bit to help." Rouge smiled. "We're just glad you're here with us. Oh, and after dinner, we've got something kind of special to show you..."

Dinner was delicious. Even after the pizza, Shadow was hungry from the race home. But even as he ate, he couldn't help but glance under the table now and then at his brand-new hoverskates.

"Oo eally ike dose, donchoo?" Sonic asked through a mouthful of chili dog.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," Amy reprimanded.

"Shorry..."

"Sonic!"

Sonic swallowed. "Sorry!"

Shadow laughed. Manners. Something important to know when you lived with Amy.

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"All right, TV time!" Sonic yelled, jumping on the couch and grabbing the remote.

"Not quite," Rouge said, snatching the remote from Sonic's hand. "We've got something to show Shadow, don't we?" she asked with a hint of a glare in her eyes.

"Jeez, fine..." Sonic rolled his eyes.

"Ready, Tails?" Rouge asked, plugging in the DVD player.

"Yup!" Tails walked forward with a disc in his hand. He turned to Shadow. "I think you're really going to like this..."

Quietly, Shadow watched from the couch as the others all piled onto it on both sides of him. Rouge hit the 'play' button on the remote...

A very familiar voice, that of an old man's suddenly sounded through the room...

"_Shadow, age four months. I am starting this video diary as a way of preserving his and Maria's friendship, by Maria's request, of course..."_

Shadow nearly fell off the couch in surprise when a young girl appeared on the television screen.

"_Hi, Grandpa!"_ she waved with one arm. In the other was a tiny, black hedgehog...

"Ha ha ha...!" Sonic burst out laughing. "That's you as a _baby?!_"

Shadow felt his face turn red, though he couldn't help but smile.

"_Say hello to the camera, Shadow,"_ the young Maria smiled gently, waving the little hedgehog's hand for him.

Rouge and Tails smiled, while Amy went, "Aww..."

Baby Shadow gurgled, sticking one hand into his mouth. With the other, he rubbed his eyes.

"_I think Shadow's getting sleepy, honey,"_ Gerald said from behind the camera. _"Why don't you put him to bed now?"_

"_Okay, Grandpa,"_ Maria answered, shifting Shadow to a more comfortable position in her arms, then walking out of the room, probably a laboratory, down the hall. The camera followed.

Eventually, the little girl turned right and entered another room, this one a stark contrast to the plain metal of the hallway and laboratory. This room had gentle, pastel-colored wallpaper and a soft bed to the right. A low bookshelf was crammed with picture books, and on the left-hand side was a small cradle. Maria carefully laid Shadow inside, then pulled up a small chair and rocked the cradle back and forth.

From the cradle, Shadow's quiet whimpering could be heard...

"_I think he wants a lullaby, Maria,"_ Gerald prompted.

"_Okay,"_ Maria smiled at the camera.

As he watched, Shadow felt a strange sensation... like this was familiar...

... this was something that he had enjoyed...

The others all watched and listened intently as Maria's voice echoed from the speakers...

.

.

.

_Quietly, I was watching_

_Small One's sleeping face_

_There are wrinkles between your brows_

_If you're having a bad dream, open your eyes_

_I recall that summer_

_When I hesitated, afraid of the water_

_Being pushed from the back, I was able to swim_

_It's like it was yesterday_

.

.

.

Shadow felt completely at peace... this was something that he had missed for so long...

Not so much the words or tune themselves, but the voice that was singing them...

The voice that belonged to a little girl...

... a little girl who had wanted the world to be perfect.

The little girl who had dared to wish, who had been brave enough to speak her most precious dreams out loud.

As he listened to Maria's voice sing the slow melody, Shadow felt a strange, warm sensation...

And for once, the world _was_ perfect.

.

.

.

_I can hear the voices_

_They point to the road which I must take_

_In the wind that flows like a river_

_I sing alone_

.

.

.

Shadow smiled...

Rouge looked over... and felt happy.

It had been quite a trial, getting up to ARK. Fortunately, in the same way that the computer in Eggman's base had been running, the teleporter was in good condition.

She had tracked down Kagaku, and the two of them had visited the old space colony. There, she had found a multitude of old things... photos, files, the blueprint for Tails, even these videos. Once she'd gotten back to Earth, she'd taken the time to transfer them to DVDs, so the memories wouldn't fade with time. In fact, there was still a large pile of things that were waiting in Shadow's room, waiting for him to look through...

Rouge watched as the video made its way up to focus on Shadow, lying in his bed. The baby hedgehog smiled innocently, reaching for the lens cap.

Meanwhile, Tails and Amy watched the television with a reverence, seeing a side of Shadow that they'd never witnessed before. Both glanced up at the present Shadow.

It was different... even compared to what had been going on the last few months. Amy had let Shadow stay in her apartment to recuperate, and the two of them had gotten along fine... just fine. Tails had even gotten closer to the black hedgehog. Shadow was finally warming up to them...

Maria's voice continued...

.

.

.

_Small One is me_

_Surely, that is who I am_

_In the mirror, this helpless feeling_

_Becomes a tomorrow that no one can beat_

_And like that, I return to my childhood_

_Little by little, to those days_

_When I was praised for singing love songs_

_When I didn't yet know their meaning_

.

.

.

"_This helpless feeling... becomes a tomorrow that no one can beat"..._

Sonic glanced over at his friend.

Those events of fifty years ago... waking up to discover that the innocent little girl who had been his friend was dead...

... what a terrible reality.

Sonic inwardly sighed. Talk about a "helpless feeling."

But just like the words said... sometimes, you just had to wait it out.

And maybe, somehow, things could turn out for the better...

Sonic smiled at Shadow. Talk about something bad gone good again.

The black hedgehog managed to catch the glance, and also turned.

"Hey... Sonic..." Shadow whispered. "Thank you for the skates... all of you."

"No problem, Shad," Sonic waved it off. Shadow's ear twitched in annoyance at the word "Shad."

"Don't call me..." the hedgehog started, but he trailed off.

"Don't call you what?" Tails asked.

"Nothing... it doesn't matter." Shadow shrugged.

'_If it makes you happy... We have to compromise, right?'_

.

.

.

_When I look up to the sky_

_My voice becomes full_

_In the wind that flows like a river_

_You should fly up too_

_I can hear the voices_

_They point to the road which I must take_

_In the wind that flows like a river_

_By myself, I sing_

.

.

.

Everything seemed so at peace in the small room. The five friends, all bunched together on the sofa.

The video had since left the image of Shadow and Maria, and was now zooming around Maria's room. Glimpses of stuffed animals, books, and teddy bears littering the soft, blue carpet.

Suddenly, Rouge stood up. "Hold on a minute..." she said, stepping quickly down the hallway. Tails and Amy smiled knowingly.

In a few minutes, Rouge was back, now holding a thick book. Smiling, she handed it to Shadow.

"I'd give you this later... but I just remembered about it now, and I wanted you to see it before I forgot."

It was a photo album. Shadow opened it up, and on the first page was a picture of himself and Maria, standing there in the room.

Rouge smiled. "And... there's something else, too...

"We want you to come up to ARK, Shadow. Tails rigged up a generator down at Eggman's base, so the transporter will be running for quite a ways to come.

"We didn't touch anything in her room... except for quite a layer of dust, everything up there is still the same way it was, fifty years ago."

Shadow was startled. Glancing from Rouge's face to the television screen, where that familiar room was appearing, and back, he couldn't hide the expression of surprise.

Rouge patted his back gently. "I know a lot of things you wish you'd forget happened up there... but weren't there a lot of good times, too? Come on... what do you say, this Saturday? Come on, guys, what do you think?" The question was met by whoops and cheers from the others.

"What do you say, Shadow?" Sonic asked.

"Come on, Shadow! It'll be fun," Tails added.

"Let's go!" Amy chimed in. "You'll love it!"

Shadow looked around, feeling that familiar tight sensation in the back of his throat. His nose and eyes ready to start watering, he whispered, "You're the greatest friends ever..."

Rouge smiled. "Atta boy. And now, how about some dessert!" she said. "And you just wait until you see what else we've got for you!"

Shadow glanced back at the television, reluctantly... but Sonic grinned.

"Hey. It'll be back here, whenever you want to watch it again. Besides, Rouge got us about 20 discs worth of DVDs. You ought to save some for later!"

Shadow smiled and nodded...

.

.

.

_Treasured things are close by_

_That is what I realized_

_When I look up to the sky_

_My voice becomes full_

_In the wind that flows like a river_

_You should fly up too_

_I can hear the voices_

_They point to the road which I must take_

_In the wind that flows like a river_

_I sing alone_

.

.

.

The sounds of the lullaby ceased, and the young Shadow could be heard, asleep.

Sonic turned the TV off, and the five walked to the kitchen to have some dessert.

.

.

.

.

.

That night, as Sonic was about to head to his room, he happened to pass by where Shadow was staying.

The black hedgehog was fast asleep... but a white sheet of paper was lying on the bed table, shining in the moonlight.

Unable to suppress his curiosity, Sonic tiptoed into the room and held up the sheet of paper.

Written in a rather untidy scrawl, as if someone was just learning to write for the first time, were the words of Shadow's life...

.

.

.

_when i first met the world, it seemed like a dream_

_because the one i needed was there_

_and i learned to dream, and to wish_

_for i thought wishes were eternal_

_but when i got older_

_i had to learn_

_the hard way_

_that nothing was as it seemed_

_when i was alone_

_i finally saw the world_

_for what it was; a lonely place_

_where nothing good can ever last forever_

_but somewhere in my heart_

_i still hoped_

_and dreamed_

_that wishes were eternal_

_i was still walking along an empty, lonely road_

_when i met the people who are my world now_

_as much as i hated them, as much as i hated to change_

_i saw that my dark world was being lit up by them_

_i saw that my dark, dusty path through life_

_was sparkling, for the sun was coming up_

_and then, more than ever_

_i hoped and prayed that wishes could be eternal_

_then i finally learned that while it seems_

_that nothing lasts forever, both the good and the bad_

_as long as i live, and as long as the sun shines_

_my wishes are there for me_

_and i knew that the world was there for keeps_

_and that my light would never go away_

_as long as i dreamed, as long as i hoped_

_as long as i prayed that wishes were eternal_

_because my happiness is their wish_

_because their happiness is my wish_

_because our unending lives are our wishes_

_that boundless emotions are our wishes_

_i know_

_that_

_Wishes_

_Are_

_Eternal_

.

.

.

Sonic silently laid the paper back down on the table and glanced at his sleeping friend.

"All the way up there on ARK... I bet Maria's biggest wish was for a friend, Shadow...

"And you gave it to her. You _were_ her wish...

"You gave her happiness..."

The blue hedgehog quietly tiptoed out of the room, even though no one was around. He turned around...

"Good night, Shadow."

The door quietly closed...

... and from beneath the covers,

Shadow smiled.

.

.

.

.

.

_Fin_


End file.
